Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तत्र श्रावणपञ्चम्यां यो नरः स्नानमाचरेत् । कृष्णायां न भयं तस्य कुलेऽपि स्यादहेः क्वचित्

Transliteration

tatra śrāvaṇapañcamyāṃ yo naraḥ snānamācaret | kṛṣṇāyāṃ na bhayaṃ tasya kule'pi syādaheḥ kvacit

Translation

若有人于彼处在室罗伐那月第五日（Śrāvaṇa Pañcamī）行沐浴圣仪，则即使在黑半月（Kṛṣṇā）之时，他亦永无蛇患之惧，乃至其族裔之中亦不生此怖。

Word by Word

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• śrāvaṇa-pañcamyām: on the Śrāvaṇa Pañcamī
• śrāvaṇa-pañcamyām: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāvaṇa + pañcamī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (‘श्रावणस्य पञ्चमी’ = the fifth (tithi) of Śrāvaṇa)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Kartā (Subject of ‘ācaret’/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘yaḥ’ इत्यस्य विशेष्यः

• snānam: bathing
• snānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ācaret: should perform
• ācaret: Kriyā (Main predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (चर् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्ग ‘आ-’

• kṛṣṇāyām: on the dark (night)/in the kṛṣṇā (period)
• kṛṣṇāyām: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; (अमावास्या/कृष्णपक्ष-रात्रिः इत्यर्थे) कालाधिकरणम्

• na: no/not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध)

• bhayam: fear
• bhayam: Kartā (Subject of ‘syāt’/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• kule: in (his) family
• kule: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अपि = even/also)

• syāt: would be
• syāt: Kriyā (Main predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; ‘स्यात्’ = would be/should be

• aheḥ: of a serpent
• aheḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• kvacit: ever
• kvacit: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्वचित् = ever/anywhere)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāga-tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied purāṇic frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śrāvaṇa Pañcamī morning at a stepped kunda: families bathe together; nāga icons are worshipped with flowers and lamps; the scene emphasizes lineage continuity—elders blessing children—under the protective gaze of Nāga deities.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāvaṇa Pañcamī
• Nāga-tīrtha
• Serpent (Ahi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time-specific observances amplify tīrtha merit; sacred bathing is framed as protection extending to one’s family line.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nāga-tīrtha introduced in Adhyāya 31, praised for eliminating serpent-related fear.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna at the Nāga-tīrtha specifically on Śrāvaṇa Pañcamī.