Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

भार्या ममेति संदष्टो रात्रौ भर्त्ता महा हिना । मृतोऽपि ब्राह्मणैः सर्पो लगुडैर्विनिपातितः

Transliteration

bhāryā mameti saṃdaṣṭo rātrau bharttā mahā hinā | mṛto'pi brāhmaṇaiḥ sarpo laguḍairvinipātitaḥ

Translation

ยามราตรี สามีของข้าพเจ้าถูกงูใหญ่งับกัด ด้วยคิดว่า “นางเป็นภรรยาของเรา” และแม้งูนั้นจะตายแล้ว พราหมณ์ทั้งหลายก็ยังใช้กระบองตีจนล้มลง

Word by Word

• भार्या: wife
• भार्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

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

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्ति-सूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• संदष्टः: bitten
• संदष्टः: Karma (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+दंश् (धातु) → संदष्ट (कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (रात्रौ)

• भर्त्ता: husband
• भर्त्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महा: by a great (one)
• महा: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; (महता इत्यर्थे छान्दस/पाठभेदरूप)

• हिना: by a wretched/low (one)
• हिना: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (महाहिना = महा+हीन/महाहीन?)

• मृतः: dead
• मृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु) → मृत (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-भाव सूचक अव्यय (particle)

• ब्राह्मणैः: by Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सर्पः: snake
• सर्पः: Karma (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लगुडैः: with clubs
• लगुडैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लगुड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• विनिपातितः: was struck down / felled
• विनिपातितः: Karma (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+नि+पत् (धातु) → विनिपातित (कृदन्त-णिच्+क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (caused to fall/struck down)

Speaker

Unspecified (same narrator to the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night inside a house: the great white serpent bites the sleeping husband; brāhmaṇas rush in with clubs and strike the serpent even after it is dead—double death under lamplight.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇas
• mahā-sarpa (great serpent)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Attachment and misrecognition can lead to calamity; karmic chains may involve both human and animal lives.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is embedded in the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya, framing the land as a stage for karmic resolution.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No rite is taught here; the verse narrates the fatal event and its immediate aftermath.