Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

स्थावरजगमं वापि कृत्रिमं यदि वा विषम् । तस्य नाम्ना विनिर्याति तमः सूर्योदये यथा

Transliteration

sthāvarajagamaṃ vāpi kṛtrimaṃ yadi vā viṣam | tasya nāmnā viniryāti tamaḥ sūryodaye yathā

Translation

വിഷം സ്ഥാവരമൂലമാകട്ടെ ജംഗമമൂലമാകട്ടെ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ കൃത്രിമമാകട്ടെ—ആ (മന്ത്രത്തിന്റെ) നാമോച്ചാരണമാത്രത്തിൽ അത് സൂര്യോദയത്തിൽ ഇരുട്ട് മാറുന്നതുപോലെ മാറിപ്പോകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• sthāvara-jagamam: (poison) from immobile or mobile (sources)
• sthāvara-jagamam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthāvara (प्रातिपदिक) + jagama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः—स्थावरं च जगमं च (immobile and mobile)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवादार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• kṛtrimam: artificial
• kṛtrimam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛtrima (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (viṣam विशेषयति)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तबोधक-अव्यय

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• viṣam: poison
• viṣam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tasya: of it
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; अत्र विषस्य

• nāmnā: by the name (utterance)
• nāmnā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• viniryāti: goes out; departs
• viniryāti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi+nir+√yā (या)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गाः—वि, निर्

• tamaḥ: darkness
• tamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tamas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sūryodaye: at sunrise
• sūryodaye: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūryodaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Simile marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (as/just as)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha-māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three sources of poison are symbolized—plant, serpent, and a vial—while the chanter’s utterance radiates like sunrise; darkness retreats from the scene as the poison symbols fade.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣa (poison)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic teaching emphasizes nāma-śakti—the purifying and protective power of sacred utterance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha context indicated by ‘tatra’ in the surrounding verses of Adhyāya 36.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Invoking/reciting the relevant mantra’s name as a remedy for all kinds of poison (natural or artificial).