Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 166

Devanagari script

अथ सर्पाकृतिं मां च दुःखेन महतान्वितम् । तटस्थं भयसंत्रस्तं तथा सर्वजनं तदा

Transliteration

atha sarpākṛtiṃ māṃ ca duḥkhena mahatānvitam | taṭasthaṃ bhayasaṃtrastaṃ tathā sarvajanaṃ tadā

Translation

പിന്നീട് അദ്ദേഹം എന്നെ സർപ്പരൂപത്തിൽ, മഹാദുഃഖത്തിൽ മൂടപ്പെട്ടവനായി, തീരത്ത് ഒരുവശത്ത് ഭയത്തോടെ വിറച്ച് നിൽക്കുന്നതായി കണ്ടു; അപ്പോൾ എല്ലാവരും ഭീതിയിലായിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक

• सर्पाकृतिम्: serpent-form
• सर्पाकृतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प + आकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्पस्य आकृतिः = serpent-form)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• दुःखेन: with suffering
• दुःखेन: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• महता: great
• महता: Karana (Instrument qualifier/करणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन; विशेषण

• अन्वितम्: endowed (with)
• अन्वितम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; √इ/अनु-इ धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; (endowed/possessed)

• तटस्थम्: standing on the bank
• तटस्थम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तट + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (तटे स्थितम् = standing on the bank)

• भयसंत्रस्तम्: terrified
• भयसंत्रस्तम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय + संत्रस्त (प्रातिपदिक; √त्रस् धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (भयेन संत्रस्तम् = frightened by fear)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थ (likewise/also)

• सर्वजनम्: all the people
• सर्वजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सर्वः जनः = all people)

• तदा: then/at that time
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (at that time)

Speaker

Narrator

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sorrow-stricken being appears in serpent-form, standing aside in fear, while the gathered people recoil in terror.

Characters & Entities

• Sarpa
• Muni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharmic outcomes affect not only the doer but also the community, becoming a cautionary spectacle that reinforces dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the tīrtha setting is implicit from the Tīrthamāhātmya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive of the fearful scene.