Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

अथ शून्यं पुरं कृत्वा सर्वे ते पन्नगोत्तमाः । व्यचरन्स्वेच्छया तत्र तीर्थेष्वायतनेषु च

Transliteration

atha śūnyaṃ puraṃ kṛtvā sarve te pannagottamāḥ | vyacaransvecchayā tatra tīrtheṣvāyataneṣu ca

Translation

ครั้นแล้ว เมื่อทำให้เมืองนั้นว่างเปล่า เหล่านาคผู้ประเสริฐทั้งปวงก็เที่ยวไปตามใจชอบ ณ ที่นั้น ทั้งตามตถีรถะและตามศาสนสถานอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์ด้วย

Word by Word

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

• शून्यम्: empty, deserted
• शून्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शून्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण

• पुरम्: city
• पुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Gerundial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव; ‘having made’

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• पन्नगोत्तमाः: best of serpents
• पन्नगोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पन्नग (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘पन्नगानाम् उत्तमाः’

• व्यचरन्: they wandered
• व्यचरन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+चर् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; पदपाठे ‘व्यचरन्’ (व्यचरन् = व्यचरन्/व्यचरन्-ति लोपः छन्दसि)

• स्वेच्छया: by their own will
• स्वेच्छया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + इच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘स्वस्य इच्छया’ (by their own will)

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

• तीर्थेषु: in the sacred fords/holy places
• तीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• आयतनेषु: in the shrines/abodes
• आयतनेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

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

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Nāgara-khaṇḍa; exact speaker not stated in this snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Deserted city courtyards and temple precincts; nāgas roam freely through ghāṭas, wells, and shrine corridors; lamps flicker unattended.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Āyatana (shrine/temple)
• Pannagottama (chief serpents)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even sacred sites can become inaccessible when protective order collapses—highlighting the need for restoration so pilgrimage and worship may continue safely.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse mentions tīrthas and shrines generally within the chapter’s setting, without naming a specific tīrtha in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse identifies the presence of tīrthas and āyatanas as part of the sacred landscape.