Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

अथ वीरुधसंछन्ने वने तस्मि न्सुसंस्थिते । तया न्यस्तं पदं मूर्ध्नि तृणाच्छन्नस्य भोगिनः

Transliteration

atha vīrudhasaṃchanne vane tasmi nsusaṃsthite | tayā nyastaṃ padaṃ mūrdhni tṛṇācchannasya bhoginaḥ

Translation

แล้วในป่านั้นซึ่งรกทึบด้วยเถาวัลย์และเป็นที่กำบังแน่นหนา นางได้เหยียบลงบนเศียรของพญางูที่ซ่อนอยู่ใต้หญ้า

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Adhikarana (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भ/अनन्तरार्थे (indeclinable: 'then/now')

• वीरुधसंछन्ने: covered with creepers
• वीरुधसंछन्ने: Visheshana (Qualifier of 'vane')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीरुध् (प्रातिपदिक) + सं-छन्न (कृदन्त; √छद्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वीरुधाभिः संछन्ने = covered with creepers); कृदन्त-विशेषण

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: in that (place)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/Reference)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सुसंस्थिते: well-situated
• सुसंस्थिते: Visheshana (Qualifier of location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय) + सम्-स्थित (कृदन्त; √स्था)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण (well-situated/standing well)

• तया: by her
• तया: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• न्यस्तम्: placed
• न्यस्तम्: Kriya (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि (उपसर्ग) + √अस्/न्यस् (धातु; √अस्=to throw/put, in causative sense √न्यस्/√अस् with ni) → न्यस्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) used predicatively with 'पदम्' (placed)

• पदम्: foot/step
• पदम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मूर्ध्नि: on the head
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन (मूर्ध्नि)

• तृणाच्छन्नस्य: of (one) covered with grass
• तृणाच्छन्नस्य: Visheshana (Qualifier of 'bhoginaḥ')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृण (प्रातिपदिक) + आ-छन्न (कृदन्त; √छद्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तृणेन आच्छन्नस्य = covered with grass); कृदन्त-विशेषण

• भोगिनः: of the serpent
• भोगिनः: Sambandha (Genitive: whose head)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (narrating to the sages; internal address to ‘mama sūtaja’ indicates a framed narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: “sūtaja” addressee (Purāṇic listening frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a creeper-choked forest floor, a serpent lies hidden under grass; the woman’s foot comes down upon its hood/head; companions recoil; tension in the stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• a serpent (bhogin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Carelessness and unseen dangers in worldly life can suddenly bring suffering; Purāṇic narratives use such turns to redirect the mind toward dharma and refuge in sacred merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is part of the Tīrthamāhātmya stream in Nāgarakhaṇḍa, but the specific tīrtha name is not stated in this single shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it sets up the narrative incident that later supports tīrtha-glorification.