Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

महिष उवाच । अहं दुर्वाससा शप्तो महिषत्वे नियोजितः । तिर्यक्त्वं नाशमायातु तस्मान्मे त्वत्प्रसादतः

Transliteration

mahiṣa uvāca | ahaṃ durvāsasā śapto mahiṣatve niyojitaḥ | tiryaktvaṃ nāśamāyātu tasmānme tvatprasādataḥ

Translation

Das Büffelwesen sprach: „Durvāsas hat mich verflucht und in den Büffelstand versetzt. Darum, durch deine Gnade, möge dieser tierische Zustand für mich enden.“

Word by Word

• mahiṣaḥ: the buffalo (being)
• mahiṣaḥ: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahiṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (वक्तृ-निर्देश)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Speech verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; उत्तमपुरुषवाचक; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• durvāsasā: by Durvāsas
• durvāsasā: Karana (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: durvāsas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्तृ-निर्देश (agent in passive)

• śaptaḥ: cursed
• śaptaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śap (धातु) → śapta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• mahiṣatve: in the state of buffalo-hood
• mahiṣatve: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahiṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + -tva (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अवस्था/अधिकरण

• niyojitaḥ: appointed/forced (into)
• niyojitaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni + yuj (धातु) → niyojita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• tiryaktvam: animal state, being a beast
• tiryaktvam: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tiryak (प्रातिपदिक) + -tva (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• nāśam: destruction, end
• nāśam: Karma (Goal/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• āyātu: may it come/attain
• āyātu: Kriyā (Optative command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + yā (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/benedictive sense), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• tasmāt: therefore, from that
• tasmāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Reason/Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययप्रयोग; अपादानार्थ (ablatival adverb)

• me: of me, my
• me: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th) एकवचन (enclitic)

• tvat-prasādataḥ: due to your grace
• tvat-prasādataḥ: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tvat (प्रातिपदिक) + prasāda (प्रातिपदिक) + -tas (तसिल्)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (tava prasādaḥ); तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

Speaker

Mahīṣa (cursed by Durvāsas, speaking to Mahādeva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-assembly (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A buffalo-formed being (Mahiṣa) speaks with folded hands before Śiva, confessing Durvāsas’ curse and pleading for the end of animal embodiment.

Characters & Entities

• Durvāsas
• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• śāpa (curse)
• māhiṣatva (buffalohood)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Release from degraded states is sought through confession, humility, and surrender to Śiva’s grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The request is made after tapas connected with Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, the adhyāya’s praised site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse records a supplicatory prayer to Śiva after austerity.