Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। सूत उवाच । तथान्यदपि तत्रास्ति नागतीर्थमनुत्तमम् । यत्र स्नातस्य सर्पाणां न भयं जायते क्वचित्

Transliteration

| sūta uvāca | tathānyadapi tatrāsti nāgatīrthamanuttamam | yatra snātasya sarpāṇāṃ na bhayaṃ jāyate kvacit

Translation

സൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അവിടെ മറ്റൊരു അനുത്തമ നാഗതീർത്ഥവും ഉണ്ട്; അവിടെ സ്നാനം ചെയ്തവന് ഒരിക്കലും സർപ്പഭയം ജനിക്കുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta
• sūtaḥ: Kartā (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• tathā: also
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणम्): ‘तथा’ = likewise/also

• anyat: another (thing)
• anyat: Kartā (Subject of ‘asti’/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अपि = also)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/adverb of place): ‘तत्र’ = there

• asti: is/exists
• asti: Kriyā (Existence/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• nāga-tīrtham: Nāga-tīrtha (serpent holy place)
• nāga-tīrtham: Kartā (Apposition to ‘anyat’/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (‘नागानां तीर्थम्’ = serpent sacred ford)

• anuttamam: unsurpassed
• anuttamam: Kartā (Predicate adjective/कर्तृविधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an-uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (nāgatīrtham)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikaraṇa (Relative location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/यत्र = where)

• snātasya: of one who has bathed
• snātasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: snāta (√snā स्ना धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle): पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक-सम्भव, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘of one who has bathed’

• sarpāṇām: of serpents
• sarpāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/negation particle)

• bhayam: fear
• bhayam: Kartā (Subject of ‘jāyate’/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• jāyate: arises
• jāyate: Kriyā (Main predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (जन् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; ‘जायते’ = arises/is born

• kvacit: ever
• kvacit: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (काल/देशवाचक): ‘क्वचित्’ = ever/anywhere

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāga-tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied purāṇic frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene waterbody labeled Nāga-tīrtha; pilgrims bathe while nāgas (serpent deities) appear benignly—coiled with jeweled hoods—signifying protection rather than threat; Sūta narrates to an audience.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Nāga-tīrtha
• Serpents (Sarpas/Nāgas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is presented as a protective refuge—ritual bathing is linked with removal of fear and restoration of auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

An “anuttama” Nāga-tīrtha located in the same sacred region being described in Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at the Nāga-tīrtha to avert fear of serpents.