Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

एवं ममाहिः संजातो गुरुर्ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः । तत्प्रभावान्महत्तेजः संजातं विग्रहे मम

Transliteration

evaṃ mamāhiḥ saṃjāto gururbrāhmaṇasattamāḥ | tatprabhāvānmahattejaḥ saṃjātaṃ vigrahe mama

Translation

یوں، اے برہمنوں میں افضل، وہ سانپ میرا گرو (استاد) بن گیا؛ اور اس کے اثر سے میرے اپنے وجود میں عظیم روحانی نور پیدا ہوا۔

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• ahiḥ: snake
• ahiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• saṃjātaḥ: became/was born
• saṃjātaḥ: Kriyā (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + jan (धातु) + ta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) अर्थे ‘born/come to be’, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• guruḥ: teacher
• guruḥ: Pradhāna-predication (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• brāhmaṇa-sattamāḥ: O best of brāhmaṇas
• brāhmaṇa-sattamāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), बहुवचन (Plural) (पाठे ‘सत्तमाः’); संबोधनरूपेण

• tat-prabhāvāt: from its power/effect
• tat-prabhāvāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + prabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• mahat: great
• mahat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• tejaḥ: splendour, energy
• tejaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• saṃjātam: arose/was produced
• saṃjātam: Kriyā (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + jan (धातु) + ta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) अर्थे ‘arisen’, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vigrahe: in (my) body/form
• vigrahe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• mama: of me
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (deduced: first-person narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya addressing brāhmaṇas)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa audience (brāhmaṇa-sattamāḥ addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serpent is shown near an ascetic, not as threat but as revered instructor; the ascetic’s body subtly glows, indicating tejas arising from insight; surrounding figures (brāhmaṇas) look astonished.

Characters & Entities

• Ahi (serpent)
• Guru
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True instruction can come from unexpected sources; sincere learning transforms the seeker, awakening inner tejas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it continues the moral narrative within the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the emphasis is on guru-influence (prabhāva) and inner transformation rather than ritual.