Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

प्रोवाच न विषादस्ते पुत्र कार्यः कथंचन । यत्सर्पत्वमनुप्राप्तः शृणुष्वात्र वचो मम

Transliteration

provāca na viṣādaste putra kāryaḥ kathaṃcana | yatsarpatvamanuprāptaḥ śṛṇuṣvātra vaco mama

Translation

ਉਸ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ: “ਹੇ ਪੁੱਤਰ, ਕਿਸੇ ਭੀ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਦਾ ਵਿਸਾਦ ਨਾ ਕਰ। ਜਦ ਤੂੰ ਸਰਪਤਾ ਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਹੋਇਆ ਹੈਂ, ਇੱਥੇ ਮੇਰੇ ਬਚਨ ਸੁਣ।”

Word by Word

• provāca: said; spoke forth
• provāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (वच्) (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: प्र

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• viṣādaḥ: despair; grief
• viṣādaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (युष्मद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• putra: O son
• putra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• kāryaḥ: should be done
• kāryaḥ: Kriya (Obligation predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kārya (√kṛ + यत्; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण: 'to be done/should be'

• kathaṃcana: in any way; at all
• kathaṃcana: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kathaṃcana (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध/सामान्य-प्रयोगे क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: in any way/at all)

• yat: that which
• yat: Karma (Object of implied knowing/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (correlative: that which)

• sarpatvam: snakehood; being a snake
• sarpatvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarpa (प्रातिपदिक) + -tva (त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धित (state of being a snake)

• anuprāptaḥ: having attained
• anuprāptaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anu-√prāp (प्राप्) (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपसर्ग: अनु; 'having attained'

• śṛṇuṣva: listen
• śṛṇuṣva: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (श्रु) (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

• vacaḥ: words
• vacaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (वचस्-शब्दः; vacaḥ as acc. sg.)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

Speaker

Pitāmaha (Brahmā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā stands or sits facing the serpent-form youth, raising a hand in reassurance; the gathering quiets as a teaching begins at the sacred spot.

Characters & Entities

• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Misfortune can be reframed as a divinely guided role; steadiness and receptivity to instruction are dhārmic responses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; the instruction soon points to Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra and its sacred water.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it introduces a directive discourse that culminates in place-based practice (residence/association).