Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

मणिनाग उवाच । मातृशापभयान्नाथ क्लिष्टोऽहं नर्मदातटे । त्वत्प्रसादेन मे नाथ मातृशापो भवेद्वृथा

Transliteration

maṇināga uvāca | mātṛśāpabhayānnātha kliṣṭo'haṃ narmadātaṭe | tvatprasādena me nātha mātṛśāpo bhavedvṛthā

Translation

Maṇināga sprach: „O Herr, gequält von der Furcht vor dem Fluch meiner Mutter, habe ich hier am Ufer der Narmadā gelitten. Durch deine Gnade, o Herr, möge der Fluch meiner Mutter wirkungslos werden.“

Word by Word

• मणिनागः: Maṇināga
• मणिनागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिनाग (प्रातिपदिक; मणि + नाग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-समासार्थ (proper name: jewel-serpent)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मातृशापभयात्: from fear of (my) mother's curse
• मातृशापभयात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृशापभय (प्रातिपदिक; मातृ + शाप + भय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (fear of mother's curse)

• नाथ: O lord
• नाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• क्लिष्टः: afflicted
• क्लिष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्लिश् (धातु) → क्लिष्ट (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नर्मदातटे: on the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदातटे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदातट (प्रातिपदिक; नर्मदा + तट)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (bank of Narmadā)

• त्वत्प्रसादेन: by your grace
• त्वत्प्रसादेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वत्प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक; त्वत् + प्रसाद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (by your grace)

• मे: my; for me
• मे: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नाथ: O lord
• नाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• मातृशापः: (the) mother's curse
• मातृशापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृशाप (प्रातिपदिक; मातृ + शाप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (mother's curse)

• भवेत्: may become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वृथा: in vain; futile
• वृथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: in vain)

Speaker

Maṇināga

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) taṭa-sthāna (unspecified)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Maṇināga, humbled, speaks from the Narmadā bank—his jeweled hood lowered—describing the torment of a mother’s curse and pleading for Śiva’s grace to render it futile.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇināga
• Narmadā (Revā)
• Mother (Kadrū implied by earlier verses)
• Śiva (Nātha; implied addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace (prasāda) is presented as stronger than fear and curse—devotion on sacred ground becomes a path to liberation from affliction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā (Revā) riverbank is highlighted as the place of refuge, austerity, and transformative encounter with the Lord.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse emphasizes supplication and reliance on Śiva’s grace while residing at the Narmadā taṭa.