Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

नागयज्ञोपवीतेन गजचर्मसमन्वितम् । कृष्णसारत्वचा चापि कृतप्रावरणं विभुम्

Transliteration

nāgayajñopavītena gajacarmasamanvitam | kṛṣṇasāratvacā cāpi kṛtaprāvaraṇaṃ vibhum

Translation

พึงน้อมจิตเห็นพระผู้แผ่ซ่านทั่วว่า ทรงนาคเป็นยัชโญปวีต (สายศักดิ์สิทธิ์) ทรงนุ่งห่มหนังช้าง และยังคลุมด้วยหนังเนื้อกฤษณสาร (ละมั่งดำ)

Word by Word

• नाग: snake
• नाग: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण-अङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; (compound-member; in समास)

• यज्ञोपवीत: sacred thread
• यज्ञोपवीत: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण-अङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञोपवीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; (compound-member; in समास)

• नाग-यज्ञोपवीत: with a snake as sacred thread
• नाग-यज्ञोपवीत: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक) + यज्ञोपवीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्धः: ‘नागस्य यज्ञोपवीतम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (नागयज्ञोपवीतेन)

• नागयज्ञोपवीतेन: by/with the snake-sacred-thread
• नागयज्ञोपवीतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग-यज्ञोपवीत (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• गज: elephant
• गज: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण-अङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; (compound-member; in समास)

• चर्म: hide, skin
• चर्म: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण-अङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; (compound-member; in समास)

• गज-चर्म: elephant-hide
• गज-चर्म: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण-अङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + चर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘गजस्य चर्म’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; (compound-member; in समास)

• समन्वितम्: endowed with, accompanied by
• समन्वितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समन्वित (कृदन्त; सम्+अनु+√इ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• गजचर्म-समन्वितम्: clad/associated with elephant-hide
• गजचर्म-समन्वितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गज-चर्म (समास) + समन्वित (कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सह/समन्वयार्थः: ‘गजचर्मणा समन्वितः’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विभुम् इति विशेषणम्

• कृष्णसार: black antelope
• कृष्णसार: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण-अङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; (compound-member; in समास)

• त्वचा: with skin/hide
• त्वचा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (त्वचा)

• कृष्णसार-त्वचा: with black-antelope skin
• कृष्णसार-त्वचा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णसार (प्रातिपदिक) + त्वच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘कृष्णसारस्य त्वक्’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• कृत: made, done
• कृत: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण-अङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: (compound-member; in समास)

• प्रावरणम्: covering, garment
• प्रावरणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण-अङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रावरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (compound-member; in समास)

• कृत-प्रावरणम्: having a made garment/covering
• कृत-प्रावरणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ + क्त) + प्रावरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘कृतं प्रावरणं यस्य’/‘कृतप्रावरणः’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विभुम् इति विशेषणम्

• विभुम्: the Lord, the all-pervading one
• विभुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva appears wearing a serpent as yajñopavīta, draped in elephant hide, with a black antelope skin wrap—an awe-inspiring ascetic-king, radiating control over primal forces.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s ascetic emblems teach mastery over fear and desire, and the transformation of worldly symbols into spiritual discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is part of the chapter’s devotional-ritual framework; it does not name a specific tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescribed dhyāna-iconography for worship: serpent sacred thread, elephant hide, and black antelope skin as Śiva’s attire.