Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

मांसप्रियमुखाश्चैत ऐशानीं पांति वै दिशम् । सहस्रशीर्षको देवः शेषो नागस्थलस्थितः । अनन्तो वासुकिश्चैव तक्षकः पद्म एव च

Transliteration

māṃsapriyamukhāścaita aiśānīṃ pāṃti vai diśam | sahasraśīrṣako devaḥ śeṣo nāgasthalasthitaḥ | ananto vāsukiścaiva takṣakaḥ padma eva ca

Translation

ఈ మాంసప్రియులు, ఉగ్రముఖులు అయిన రక్షకులు నిజంగా ఈశాన దిశను కాపాడుతారు. సహస్రశిరస్సు గల దేవుడు శేషుడు నాగస్థలంలో నివసిస్తాడు; అలాగే అనంత, వాసుకి, తక్షక, పద్మ కూడా (అక్కడే) ఉన్నారు।

Word by Word

• māṃsa-priya-mukhāḥ: those whose mouths are fond of meat
• māṃsa-priya-mukhāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: māṃsa (प्रातिपदिक) + priya (प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘येषां मुखं मांसप्रियं ते’

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (Samuccaya)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• ete: these
• ete: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• aiśānīm: northeastern (Aiśānī)
• aiśānīm: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aiśānī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; दिशं विशेषयति

• pānti: protect
• pānti: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pā (पा धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• vai: indeed
• vai: Particle (Nipāta)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• diśam: direction
• diśam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• sahasra-śīrṣakaḥ: thousand-headed
• sahasra-śīrṣakaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक) + śīrṣaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (सहस्रं शिरांसि यस्य)

• devaḥ: the god
• devaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• śeṣaḥ: Śeṣa (name)
• śeṣaḥ: Apposition (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• nāgasthala-sthitaḥ: situated at Nāgasthala
• nāgasthala-sthitaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nāgasthala (प्रातिपदिक) + sthita (कृदन्त; √sthā धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कृदन्तः—क्त

• anantaḥ: Ananta (name)
• anantaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ananta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• vāsukiḥ: Vāsuki (name)
• vāsukiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsuki (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (Samuccaya)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• eva: also/indeed
• eva: Particle (Nipāta)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic/limiting particle)

• takṣakaḥ: Takṣaka (name)
• takṣakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: takṣaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• padmaḥ: Padma (name)
• padmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• eva: indeed/also
• eva: Particle (Nipāta)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (Samuccaya)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgasthala (Aiśānī-diśā protection)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the northeastern quarter, fierce guardians stand with wild expressions, while behind them rises the awe-inspiring thousand-hooded Śeṣa at Nāgasthala, accompanied by Ananta, Vāsuki, Takṣaka, and Padma—serpent-kings forming a radiant canopy over the sacred spot.

Characters & Entities

• Aiśānya (northeast)
• Śeṣa
• Nāgasthala
• Ananta
• Vāsuki
• Takṣaka
• Padma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even fierce beings are integrated into the sacred order: they protect the holy direction and uphold the sanctity of the tīrtha under divine oversight.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nāgasthala within Dvārakā, presented as the seat of Śeṣa and other prominent nāgas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No detailed rite is stated, but the verse supports directional and nāga-associated veneration as part of kṣetra-pūjā.