Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 124

Devanagari script

एकदाहं वनं प्राप्तो गहनं लगु डायुधः । शयानं तत्र चापश्यं जलसर्पं वयोऽधिकम्

Transliteration

ekadāhaṃ vanaṃ prāpto gahanaṃ lagu ḍāyudhaḥ | śayānaṃ tatra cāpaśyaṃ jalasarpaṃ vayo'dhikam

Translation

ایک دن میں گُرز ہاتھ میں لیے گھنے جنگل میں داخل ہوا؛ وہاں میں نے ایک بوڑھے آبی سانپ کو آرام سے لیٹا ہوا دیکھا۔

Word by Word

• ekadā: once
• ekadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ekadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: 'once')

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/स्त्री (common), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• vanam: forest
• vanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• prāptaḥ: having reached
• prāptaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (आप्) + pra- (उपसर्ग) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोगे 'having reached'

• gahanam: dense, deep
• gahanam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gahana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying 'vana')

• lagu: quick, light
• lagu: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: lagu/laghu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्/अविकारी-प्रयोगः; विशेषणरूपेण (used adjectivally: 'light/quick')

• ḍāyudhaḥ: (a person named) Ḍāyudha / one with a weapon (uncertain)
• ḍāyudhaḥ: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ḍāyudha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (पाठभेद/दुर्लभ-शब्दः)

• śayānam: lying down
• śayānam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √śī (शी) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/Present participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म-विशेषणम् (qualifying 'jalasarpa')

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location adjunct/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: 'there')

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• apaśyam: I saw
• apaśyam: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश्) (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• jalasarpam: water-snake
• jalasarpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक) + sarpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (जलस्य सर्पः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vayaḥ-adhikam: older (greater in age)
• vayaḥ-adhikam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vayas (प्रातिपदिक) + adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वयसः अधिकम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म-विशेषणम् (qualifying 'jalasarpa')

Speaker

Unspecified first-person speaker within the narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone brāhmaṇa traveler with a club enters a dark, dense forest; in a clearing near damp ground or a small pool lies an aged water-serpent, coiled and resting, its scales dulled with age.

Characters & Entities

• Jalasarpā (water-serpent)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It sets a karmic turning point: the encounter with a vulnerable, aged being invites reflection on violence versus dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse describes a forest scene and does not identify a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is scene-setting within the narrative.