Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

शुक्र उवाच । तस्य शापोऽन्यथा कर्तुं नैव शक्यः कथंचन । केनापि संपरित्यज्य देवमेकं महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

śukra uvāca | tasya śāpo'nyathā kartuṃ naiva śakyaḥ kathaṃcana | kenāpi saṃparityajya devamekaṃ maheśvaram

Translation

Śukra sprach: „Auf keinerlei Weise kann jener Fluch anders gemacht werden. Darum, ohne den einen Gott — Maheśvara — zu verlassen, nimm allein bei Ihm Zuflucht.“

Word by Word

• शुक्रः: Śukra
• शुक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (Nominative); एकवचन

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

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (Genitive); एकवचन

• शापः: curse
• शापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (Nominative); एकवचन

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Modifier (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (otherwise)

• कर्तुम्: to do/make
• कर्तुम्: Purpose (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive); क्रियार्थक

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• शक्यः: possible
• शक्यः: Pradhana-predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य (प्रातिपदिक; शक् धातोः यत्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicative adjective)

• कथंचन: in any way
• कथंचन: Modifier (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सर्वथा/कदाचित्-निषेधसह (in any way)

• केन: by anyone/with anything
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (Instrumental); एकवचन; ‘अपि’ सह अनिश्चितार्थे

• अपि: even/any
• अपि: Modifier (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक-निपात (even/also; here: indefinite with interrogative)

• सम्परित्यज्य: having completely abandoned
• सम्परित्यज्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + परि + त्यज् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund, ल्यप्); पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having abandoned)

• देवम्: god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (Accusative); एकवचन

• एकम्: one/only
• एकम्: Modifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; ‘देवम्’ विशेषणम्

• महेश्वरम्: Mahēśvara (the Great Lord)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; महा + ईश्वर)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् ईश्वरः); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; ‘देवम्’ विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

Speaker

Śukra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Cursed being (Dānava implied by later address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śukra, composed and authoritative, raises a hand in instruction (abhaya/anuśāsana gesture), emphasizing the inevitability of the curse and pointing inward/upward toward Maheśvara as the single refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Śukra
• śāpa (curse)
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Some karmic consequences cannot be reversed; the dharmic response is steadfast devotion to Śiva as the sure refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction leads into worship connected with Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, praised in this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, it prescribes unwavering worship of Maheśvara, without turning to other supports.