Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अथ ते कुटिला दुष्टा भक्षयंति सदा जनान् । बहुत्वादपि संस्पर्शादपराधं विनापि च

Transliteration

atha te kuṭilā duṣṭā bhakṣayaṃti sadā janān | bahutvādapi saṃsparśādaparādhaṃ vināpi ca

Translation

ତେବେ ସେହି କୁଟିଳ ଓ ଦୁଷ୍ଟ ସର୍ପମାନେ ସଦା ଲୋକମାନଙ୍କୁ ଭକ୍ଷଣ କରିବାକୁ ଲାଗିଲେ; ଅତ୍ୟଧିକ ସଂଖ୍ୟା ଓ କେବଳ ସ୍ପର୍ଶମାତ୍ରରେ, ମନୁଷ୍ୟଙ୍କର କୌଣସି ଅପରାଧ ନଥିଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ।

Word by Word

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (sequence/then)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural); सर्वनाम

• कुटिलाः: crooked
• कुटिलाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुटिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural); विशेषणम्

• दुष्टाः: wicked
• दुष्टाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural); विशेषणम्

• भक्षयन्ति: they devour
• भक्षयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः; बहुवचनम्

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb of time)

• जनान्: people
• जनान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम् (Accusative plural)

• बहुत्वात्: because of (their) multitude
• बहुत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहुत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी एकवचनम् (Ablative singular); हेतुवाचक (cause)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक (also/even)

• संस्पर्शात्: from contact
• संस्पर्शात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संस्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे पञ्चमी एकवचनम् (Ablative singular); हेतुवाचक

• अपराधम्: offence/fault
• अपराधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपराध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Accusative singular)

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपपद-योगे (with accusative) ‘without’

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; बलवर्धक (even)

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

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa context; exact speaker not explicit in the excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A terrified populace in a village/forest-edge as numerous serpents surge forth, striking indiscriminately; people flee with children while the ground seems alive with coils.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgas
• Humans (prajā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma is marked by harm done without cause; such disorder invites divine intervention to restore balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as narrative impetus within the Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes suffering and injustice rather than prescribing a rite.