Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 124
Devanagari script
एकदाहं वनं प्राप्तो गहनं लगु डायुधः । शयानं तत्र चापश्यं जलसर्पं वयोऽधिकम्
Transliteration
ekadāhaṃ vanaṃ prāpto gahanaṃ lagu ḍāyudhaḥ | śayānaṃ tatra cāpaśyaṃ jalasarpaṃ vayo'dhikam
Translation
ครั้งหนึ่ง ข้าพเจ้าถือกระบองเข้าไปในพงไพรอันทึบ; ณ ที่นั้นได้เห็นนาคน้ำชราตัวหนึ่งนอนสงบอยู่
Word by Word
ekadāonce
ekadā:
Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootekadā (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: 'once')
ahamI
aham:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, पुं/स्त्री (common), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)
vanamforest
vanam:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootvana (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन
prāptaḥhaving reached
prāptaḥ:
Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
TypeVerb
Root√āp (आप्) + pra- (उपसर्ग) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formभूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोगे 'having reached'
gahanamdense, deep
gahanam:
Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootgahana (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying 'vana')
laguquick, light
lagu:
Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootlagu/laghu (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययवत्/अविकारी-प्रयोगः; विशेषणरूपेण (used adjectivally: 'light/quick')
ḍāyudhaḥ(a person named) Ḍāyudha / one with a weapon (uncertain)
ḍāyudhaḥ:
Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootḍāyudha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (पाठभेद/दुर्लभ-शब्दः)
śayānamlying down
śayānam:
Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Root√śī (शी) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formवर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/Present participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म-विशेषणम् (qualifying 'jalasarpa')
tatrathere
tatra:
Adhikaraṇa (Location adjunct/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottatra (अव्यय)
Formदेशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: 'there')
caand
ca:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
apaśyamI saw
apaśyam:
Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√dṛś (दृश्) (धातु)
Formलङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
jalasarpamwater-snake
jalasarpam:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootjala (प्रातिपदिक) + sarpa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (जलस्य सर्पः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
vayaḥ-adhikamolder (greater in age)
vayaḥ-adhikam:
Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootvayas (प्रातिपदिक) + adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (वयसः अधिकम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म-विशेषणम् (qualifying 'jalasarpa')
Speaker
Unspecified first-person speaker within the narrative
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A lone brāhmaṇa traveler with a club enters a dark, dense forest; in a clearing near damp ground or a small pool lies an aged water-serpent, coiled and resting, its scales dulled with age.
Characters & Entities
J
Jalasarpā (water-serpent)FAQs
It sets a karmic turning point: the encounter with a vulnerable, aged being invites reflection on violence versus dharma.
The verse describes a forest scene and does not identify a named tīrtha.
None; it is scene-setting within the narrative.