Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

क्रीडंति नकुला यत्र सार्धं सर्पैःप्रहर्षिताः । पञ्चाननाश्च मातंगैर्वृषदंशास्तथाखुभिः । काकाः कौशिकसंघैश्च वैरभावविवर्जिताः

Transliteration

krīḍaṃti nakulā yatra sārdhaṃ sarpaiḥpraharṣitāḥ | pañcānanāśca mātaṃgairvṛṣadaṃśāstathākhubhiḥ | kākāḥ kauśikasaṃghaiśca vairabhāvavivarjitāḥ

Translation

وہاں نیولے سانپوں کے ساتھ خوشی سے کھیلتے تھے؛ شیر ہاتھیوں کے ساتھ؛ کاٹنے والے جاندار چوہوں کے ساتھ؛ اور کوا بھی الوؤں کے جھنڈ کے ساتھ—سب دشمنی کے بھاؤ سے بالکل پاک۔

Word by Word

• krīḍanti: they play
• krīḍanti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: krīḍ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• nakulāḥ: mongooses
• nakulāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nakula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, स्थानवाचक (locative adverb)

• sārdham: together (with)
• sārdham: Sahakāraka (सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sārdham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, सहार्थक (adverb meaning 'together/with')

• sarpaiḥ: with snakes
• sarpaiḥ: Sahakāraka (सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• praharṣitāḥ: delighted, exhilarated
• praharṣitāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-hṛṣ (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying nakulāḥ)

• pañcānanāḥ: five-faced ones (lions)
• pañcānanāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca (प्रातिपदिक) + ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; द्विगुसमास (numeral compound)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• mātaṅgaiḥ: with elephants
• mātaṅgaiḥ: Sahakāraka (सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātaṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• vṛṣadaṃśāḥ: bull-biters (dogs)
• vṛṣadaṃśāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + daṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (vṛṣasya daṃśaḥ)

• tathā: likewise, also
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/उपमानार्थ (also/likewise)

• akhubhiḥ: with mice/rats
• akhubhiḥ: Sahakāraka (सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-khu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक प्रातिपदिक (a- + khu)

• kākāḥ: crows
• kākāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• kauśikasaṃghaiḥ: with flocks of owls (kauśika)
• kauśikasaṃghaiḥ: Sahakāraka (सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kauśika (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃgha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (kauśikānāṃ saṃghaiḥ)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• vairabhāvavivarjitāḥ: devoid of hostile feeling
• vairabhāvavivarjitāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaira-bhāva (प्रातिपदिक) + vi-varjita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (vairabhāvena vivarjitāḥ = devoid of enmity)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) — deductive attribution

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene hermitage-forest where natural enemies mingle without fear: mongooses with serpents, lions with elephants, mice with biting creatures, crows with owls—everyone calm under a sacred aura.

Characters & Entities

• Nakula (mongoose)
• Sarpa (snake)
• Pañcānana (lion)
• Mātaṅga (elephant)
• Kāka (crow)
• Kauśika (owl)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true sacred space transforms even nature—hostility dissolves where dharma and divine presence prevail.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nāgarakhaṇḍa forest-tīrtha being praised as so sanctified that predator–prey enmity disappears.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse gives a hallmark of tīrtha-mahātmya: spontaneous peace and non-violence.