Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

क्रीडंति नकुला यत्र सार्धं सर्पैःप्रहर्षिताः । पञ्चाननाश्च मातंगैर्वृषदंशास्तथाखुभिः । काकाः कौशिकसंघैश्च वैरभावविवर्जिताः

Transliteration

krīḍaṃti nakulā yatra sārdhaṃ sarpaiḥpraharṣitāḥ | pañcānanāśca mātaṃgairvṛṣadaṃśāstathākhubhiḥ | kākāḥ kauśikasaṃghaiśca vairabhāvavivarjitāḥ

Translation

तत्र नकुलाः सर्पैः सह प्रहृष्टाः क्रीडन्ति; पञ्चाननाः मातङ्गैः सह; वृषदंष्ट्राः खुभिः सह; काकाश्च कौशिकसंघैः सह—सर्वे वैरभावविवर्जिताः।

Word by Word

• krīḍanti: they play
• krīḍanti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: krīḍ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• nakulāḥ: mongooses
• nakulāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nakula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, स्थानवाचक (locative adverb)

• sārdham: together (with)
• sārdham: Sahakāraka (सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sārdham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, सहार्थक (adverb meaning 'together/with')

• sarpaiḥ: with snakes
• sarpaiḥ: Sahakāraka (सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• praharṣitāḥ: delighted, exhilarated
• praharṣitāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-hṛṣ (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying nakulāḥ)

• pañcānanāḥ: five-faced ones (lions)
• pañcānanāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca (प्रातिपदिक) + ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; द्विगुसमास (numeral compound)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• mātaṅgaiḥ: with elephants
• mātaṅgaiḥ: Sahakāraka (सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātaṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• vṛṣadaṃśāḥ: bull-biters (dogs)
• vṛṣadaṃśāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + daṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (vṛṣasya daṃśaḥ)

• tathā: likewise, also
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/उपमानार्थ (also/likewise)

• akhubhiḥ: with mice/rats
• akhubhiḥ: Sahakāraka (सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-khu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक प्रातिपदिक (a- + khu)

• kākāḥ: crows
• kākāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• kauśikasaṃghaiḥ: with flocks of owls (kauśika)
• kauśikasaṃghaiḥ: Sahakāraka (सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kauśika (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃgha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (kauśikānāṃ saṃghaiḥ)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• vairabhāvavivarjitāḥ: devoid of hostile feeling
• vairabhāvavivarjitāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaira-bhāva (प्रातिपदिक) + vi-varjita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (vairabhāvena vivarjitāḥ = devoid of enmity)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) — deductive attribution

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene hermitage-forest where natural enemies mingle without fear: mongooses with serpents, lions with elephants, mice with biting creatures, crows with owls—everyone calm under a sacred aura.

Characters & Entities

• Nakula (mongoose)
• Sarpa (snake)
• Pañcānana (lion)
• Mātaṅga (elephant)
• Kāka (crow)
• Kauśika (owl)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true sacred space transforms even nature—hostility dissolves where dharma and divine presence prevail.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nāgarakhaṇḍa forest-tīrtha being praised as so sanctified that predator–prey enmity disappears.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse gives a hallmark of tīrtha-mahātmya: spontaneous peace and non-violence.