Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

सा दष्टा सहसा तेन पतिता वसुधातले । विषार्दिता गतप्राणा तत्क्षणादेव भामिनी

Transliteration

sā daṣṭā sahasā tena patitā vasudhātale | viṣārditā gataprāṇā tatkṣaṇādeva bhāminī

Translation

त्या सर्पाने तिला अचानक दंश केला; ती भूमीवर कोसळली. विषाने व्याकुळ झालेली ती तेजस्विनी स्त्री त्या क्षणीच प्राणहीन झाली।

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दष्टा: was bitten
• दष्टा: Kriya (Predicate state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दंश् (धातु) → दष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) passive sense (bitten)

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: suddenly)

• तेन: by him/it (the serpent)
• तेन: Karana (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पतिता: fell
• पतिता: Kriya (Consecutive action/state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पत् (धातु) → पतित (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (fallen)

• वसुधातले: on the ground
• वसुधातले: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधा (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (on the surface of the earth)

• विषार्दिता: afflicted by poison
• विषार्दिता: Visheshana (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष (प्रातिपदिक) + आर्दित (कृदन्त; √अर्द्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (विषेण आर्दिता = afflicted by poison); कृदन्त-विशेषण

• गतप्राणा: lifeless, having lost her life
• गतप्राणा: Visheshana (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (कृदन्त; √गम्) + प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहिः (यस्याः प्राणाः गताः सा = whose life-breaths had departed)

• तत्क्षणात्: from that moment
• तत्क्षणात्: Apadana (Ablative: time-from)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम) + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (from that very moment)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Nipata (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/अवधारण (particle: indeed/just)

• भामिनी: the lady
• भामिनी: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भामिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे अपि प्रयुज्यते (here nominative: 'the fair/angry woman')

Speaker

Sūta (narrative voice within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: “sūtaja”

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The woman collapses to the earth immediately after the bite; companions cry out; the serpent recoils; the forest floor becomes the stage of sudden bereavement.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• the woman (bhāminī)
• serpent

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Life is fragile and can end abruptly; therefore one should not postpone dharma, charity, and pilgrimage-oriented merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it functions as a narrative pivot inside the broader tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes the immediate consequence of the bite.