Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

उपसर्ग मृतानां च सर्पाग्निविषबन्धनैः । तत्र मुक्तिप्रदं श्राद्धं दिने तस्मिन्नुदाहृतम्

Transliteration

upasarga mṛtānāṃ ca sarpāgniviṣabandhanaiḥ | tatra muktipradaṃ śrāddhaṃ dine tasminnudāhṛtam

Translation

மேலும் பேரிடர்களால்—பாம்பு, தீ, விஷம் அல்லது கட்டுப்பாடு காரணமாக—இறந்தவர்களுக்கும்கூட, அந்த நாளில் அங்கே செய்யப்படும் சிராத்தம் முக்தி அளிப்பதாக அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

Word by Word

• उपसर्गे: in calamity/affliction
• उपसर्गे: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• मृतानाम्: of the dead
• मृतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त, √मृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त ‘dead (persons)’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• सर्पाग्निविषबन्धनैः: by snake (bite), fire, poison, and bondage
• सर्पाग्निविषबन्धनैः: Karana (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + विष (प्रातिपदिक) + बन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘by/through snake, fire, poison, bondage’ (causes)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• मुक्तिप्रदम्: granting liberation
• मुक्तिप्रदम्: Karma-visheshana (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (कृदन्त, √दा)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मुक्तिं प्रददाति इति (giver of liberation)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दिने: on the day
• दिने: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: on that
• तस्मिन्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उदाहृतम्: is declared
• उदाहृतम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√हृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (has been declared/said)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmahrada

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A compassionate śrāddha scene: offerings made at Rāmahrada for those who died by snakebite, fire, poison, or captivity; symbolic motifs—serpent, flame, and a broken shackle—appear subtly near the ritual space, indicating release and liberation.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s sanctity is portrayed as strong enough to uplift even those who died in distressing or unnatural circumstances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmahrada is the implied tīrtha, within the ongoing Rāmahrada-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha at that sacred place on the indicated day for those who died by calamities such as snakebite, fire, poison, or imprisonment.