Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

शप्तश्चानेन दुष्टेन मांडव्येन सुपाप्मना । कार्यं विनापि निर्दिष्टस्तद्ब्रूयां भास्करं कथम्

Transliteration

śaptaścānena duṣṭena māṃḍavyena supāpmanā | kāryaṃ vināpi nirdiṣṭastadbrūyāṃ bhāskaraṃ katham

Translation

لقد لُعِنتُ على يد ذلك الشرير ماندافيا، وهو عظيمُ الإثم؛ وحتى من غير سببٍ أُلزِمتُ وقُيِّدتُ بأمره. فكيف لي أن أتكلّم أو أمتثل بشأن بهاسكارا، أي الشمس؟

Word by Word

• शप्तः: (I am) cursed
• शप्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; ‘cursed’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय-निपात; ‘and’

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण ‘by this (person)’

• दुष्टेन: wicked
• दुष्टेन: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; विशेषण ‘wicked’

• माण्डव्येन: by Māṇḍavya
• माण्डव्येन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माण्डव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण

• सुपाप्मना: very sinful
• सुपाप्मना: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + पाप्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘सुपाप्मा’ = ‘अत्यन्तपापी’; विशेषण

• कार्यम्: a duty/required act
• कार्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय/कर्म-भावः ‘what is to be done/necessity’

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय, उपसर्गवत्/निपात; ‘without’

• अपि: even
• अपि: Avadharana (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधान/समुच्चय; ‘even/also’

• निर्दिष्टः: appointed/assigned
• निर्दिष्टः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+दिश् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; ‘appointed/indicated’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म ‘that (matter)’

• ब्रूयाम्: should I say
• ब्रूयाम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘should I say/tell’

• भास्करम्: to Bhāskara (the Sun)
• भास्करम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म/सम्बोधनार्थे अपि सम्भवः

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रश्नार्थक; ‘how?’

Speaker

Unspecified (context: a lament within the narrative about a curse involving Māṇḍavya and the Sun)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas/assembly and the addressed woman (contextually)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A speaker (likely Sūrya or a celestial being) expresses grievance: a stern sage Māṇḍavya stands with raised hand in a cursing gesture; the celestial figure appears restrained by an unseen bond, with dimmed rays or halted motion.

Characters & Entities

• Māṇḍavya
• Bhāskara
• Sūrya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse highlights the binding force of a śāpa (curse) and the moral tension between cosmic duty and imposed constraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Tīrthamāhātmya, the broader chapter supports sacred-place glorification; this particular verse focuses on the curse narrative rather than naming a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; the verse frames a predicament caused by a curse and a reference to Bhāskara (Sun).