Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

न शेकुस्ते यदा सर्वे ग्रहीतुं तं महेश्वरम् । तदा शिवं प्रकुपिता शेपुरित्थं द्विजातयः

Transliteration

na śekuste yadā sarve grahītuṃ taṃ maheśvaram | tadā śivaṃ prakupitā śepuritthaṃ dvijātayaḥ

Translation

ولمّا عجزوا جميعًا عن إمساك ذلك المهيشڤرا، عندئذٍ تلفّظ الحكماءُ «ذوو الميلادين»—وقد استبدّ بهم الغضب—بلعنةٍ على شِيفا على هذا النحو.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• शेकुः: they were able
• शेकुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; धातु: शक् (to be able)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (when)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ते)

• ग्रहितुम्: to seize
• ग्रहितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive), धातु: ग्रह् (to seize)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• महेश्वरम्: the Great Lord (Maheshvara)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; घटक: महा + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (then)

• शिवम्: Shiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रकुपिताः: enraged
• प्रकुपिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र- कुप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘having become enraged’

• शेपुः: they cursed
• शेपुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; धातु: शप् (to curse)

• इत्थम्: thus
• इत्थम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: thus/in this manner)

• द्विजातयः: the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजातयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजाति (प्रातिपदिक; घटक: द्वि + जाति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (two-born)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic storyteller, likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages, unable to catch Maheśvara, stand in a semicircle with blazing eyes; their raised hands and stern faces indicate the moment of pronouncing a curse, while Śiva remains elusive.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara
• Śiva
• Dvijātayaḥ (twice-born sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Anger can misdirect even the learned; spiritual power (śāpa) should align with discernment and devotion rather than impulsive outrage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter, but this single shloka does not identify the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces the act of cursing within the narrative.