Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

ततो दृष्टिविषान्सर्पानादिदेश पितामहः । युष्माभिः सर्वदा स्थेयं ह्रदेस्मिञ्छासनान्मम

Transliteration

tato dṛṣṭiviṣānsarpānādideśa pitāmahaḥ | yuṣmābhiḥ sarvadā stheyaṃ hradesmiñchāsanānmama

Translation

แล้วปิตามหะทรงบัญชางูผู้มีพิษในสายตาว่า: “ด้วยพระบัญชาของเรา พวกเจ้าจงสถิตอยู่ในสระนี้เสมอไป”

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक

• दृष्टिविषान्: venomous-by-sight
• दृष्टिविषान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + विष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (दृष्ट्या विषं येषां ते) ‘whose sight is venomous’

• सर्पान्: snakes
• सर्पान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• आदिदेश: commanded/instructed
• आदिदेश: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दिश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पितामहः: the grandsire (Brahmā)
• पितामहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिता (प्रातिपदिक) + मह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (पितॄणां महः/महान्) ‘the grandsire’ (Brahmā)

• युष्माभिः: by you/with you (you all)
• युष्माभिः: Karana (Instrument/Agentive means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (time adverb)

• स्थेयम्: (you) should stay
• स्थेयम्: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Gerundive/Obligatory passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; भावे प्रयोगः—‘it should be stayed’ = ‘you should stay’

• ह्रदे: in the lake
• ह्रदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ह्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• शासनात्: from/because of (the) command
• शासनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; कारणार्थे (because of the command)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (command issued by Brahmā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī-hrada (Nāga-rakṣita)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dṛṣṭi-viṣa nāgas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, authoritative and calm, addresses a circle of powerful serpents with radiant, dangerous eyes; the lake behind them glows, suggesting a sanctum guarded by living sentinels.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Serpents (sarpāḥ / pannagāḥ)
• Mahāhrada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are protected through divinely appointed guardians, preserving holiness from improper approach.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mahāhrada lake where Sarasvatī resides, guarded by serpents.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it establishes a protective ordinance (śāsana) for the tīrtha.