Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

वज्रां नामास्मरद्विद्यां तस्या गात्रं ततस्तया । योजयामास रक्षार्थं प्राप्ता चाथ भुजंगमी

Transliteration

vajrāṃ nāmāsmaradvidyāṃ tasyā gātraṃ tatastayā | yojayāmāsa rakṣārthaṃ prāptā cātha bhujaṃgamī

Translation

นางระลึกถึงวิทยามนตร์นามว่า ‘วัชรา’ แล้วอาศัยมนตร์นั้นผูกเกราะคุ้มครองกายของตน; ครั้นแล้วนางพญางูก็เข้ามาใกล้

Word by Word

• वज्राम्: Vajrā (name)
• वज्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नाम-शब्दः (indeclinable; ‘by name’)

• अस्मरत्: remembered
• अस्मरत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• विद्याम्: a spell/knowledge
• विद्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्

• गात्रम्: body/limb
• गात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya (Adverbial/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• तया: by her
• तया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• योजयामास: she applied/attached
• योजयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Periphrastic perfect/परस्मैपद-लिट्), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्

• रक्षार्थम्: for protection
• रक्षार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; प्रयोजनार्थे (for protection); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (रक्षायै अर्थः)

• प्राप्ता: arrived/was obtained
• प्राप्ता: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया-फल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (PPP used predicatively); स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

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

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• भुजंगमी: the female serpent
• भुजंगमी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुजङ्गमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The woman closes her eyes in focused remembrance; a radiant ‘vajra’-like aura forms around her body as a protective sheath while a serpentess approaches.

Characters & Entities

• Vajrā-vidyā
• serpentess (bhujaṃgamī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma recognizes sacred knowledge (vidyā/mantra) as protection when used for righteous safeguarding rather than harm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is situated in the Kedārāyatana-centered Tīrthamāhātmya of Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A protective vidyā (Vajrā) is invoked; it functions like mantra-japa/smaraṇa for rakṣā (protection).