Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

ततो देवगणान्सर्वाञ्छशाप च तदा सती । भोभोः शक्र त्वयानीता यदेषा पंचभर्तृका

Transliteration

tato devagaṇānsarvāñchaśāpa ca tadā satī | bhobhoḥ śakra tvayānītā yadeṣā paṃcabhartṛkā

Translation

Da sprach Satī in eben jenem Augenblick einen Fluch über alle Scharen der Götter: „Hört mich, o Śakra (Indra)! Durch dich ist diese Frau—die zum Los hat, fünf Gatten zu haben—hierher gebracht worden.“

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• देवगणान्: the hosts of gods
• देवगणान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (to देवगणान्)

• शशाप: cursed
• शशाप: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपातः

• तदा: at that time
• तदा: Sambandha (temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (at that time)

• सती: the virtuous woman
• सती: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• भोभोः: hey! hey!
• भोभोः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भोभोः (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपातः (vocative interjection)

• शक्र: O Śakra (Indra)
• शक्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (pronoun), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instr. 3), एकवचनम्

• आनीता: brought
• आनीता: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative to एषा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + नी (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः

• यत्: since / that
• यत्: Hetu/Sambandha (हेतु/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative particle ‘since/that’)

• एषा: this (woman)
• एषा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• पंचभर्तृका: having five husbands
• पंचभर्तृका: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + भर्तृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; द्विगु-समासः

Speaker

Satī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śakra (Indra) and the deva-gaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A deva-sabhā scene: Satī stands fearless, hand raised in curse, facing Indra on a throne with vajra; behind Indra, assembled devas recoil. The ‘pañcabhartṛkā’ woman stands aside, veiled, as the focal accusation is spoken.

Characters & Entities

• Satī
• Devagaṇa (the gods)
• Śakra (Indra)
• Pañcabhartṛkā (the woman with five husbands)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the gods are accountable to dharma; actions that disturb moral order invite consequences, and divine speech (śāpa) enforces cosmic balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse occurs within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya context, but the specific tīrtha name is not stated in this single shloka excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) appears in this verse; it is a narrative moment explaining causation within the māhātmya.