Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

पुरा मांडव्यशापेन शूद्रयोन्यवतारितः । सांप्रतं पुत्ररहितः कृतोऽपूज्यश्च सत्तम

Transliteration

purā māṃḍavyaśāpena śūdrayonyavatāritaḥ | sāṃprataṃ putrarahitaḥ kṛto'pūjyaśca sattama

Translation

Einst wurde ich durch den Fluch Māṇḍavyas gezwungen, in einem Śūdra-Leib zu inkarnieren. Und nun, o Bester der Tugendhaften, bin ich ohne Sohn gemacht und der gebührenden Ehre beraubt.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of time: 'formerly')

• माण्डव्य-शापेन: by Māṇḍavya’s curse
• माण्डव्य-शापेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माण्डव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (माण्डव्यस्य शापः) → तृतीया: 'by the curse of Māṇḍavya'

• शूद्र-योनौ: in a Śūdra womb/birth
• शूद्र-योनौ: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शूद्रस्य योनि:)

• अवतारितः: was brought down (incarnated)
• अवतारितः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-तॄ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे: 'was made to descend/was brought down'

• सांप्रतम्: now
• सांप्रतम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सांप्रतम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb: 'now/at present')

• पुत्र-रहितः: sonless
• पुत्र-रहितः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + रहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-तत्पुरुषार्थः: 'devoid of sons'

• कृतः: has been made
• कृतः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'has been made'

• अपूज्यः: unworthy of worship
• अपूज्यः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-पूज्य (प्रातिपदिक; पूज्य from पूज् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्ताधारित विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-प्रत्ययार्थः: 'not worthy of worship'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction: 'and')

• सत्तम: O best one
• सत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; 'O best of the good'

Speaker

Yama (Dharmarāja)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A virtuous interlocutor addressed as ‘sattama’ (contextually likely Indra or a sage/assembly member)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humbled Vaivasvata (Yama), austere and dark-hued, speaks with folded hands, recounting an ancient curse and present misfortune—sonlessness and loss of honor—before a radiant Indra in a celestial assembly.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Māṇḍavya (sage)
• Brahmā (implied addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A curse (śāpa) in Purāṇic dharma functions as a moral instrument—reminding even cosmic officials that justice must be tempered with discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it is background to the Māhātmya’s unfolding.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is autobiographical within the narrative (effects of śāpa).