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

Ich bin von jenem bösen Māṇḍavya, einem großen Sünder, verflucht worden; und selbst ohne Anlass bin ich durch seine Weisung gebunden. Wie sollte ich da über Bhāskara, die Sonne, sprechen oder mich fügen?

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).