Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

इति शापेन देवानां निर्दग्धेयं महातिथिः

Transliteration

iti śāpena devānāṃ nirdagdheyaṃ mahātithiḥ

Translation

So wurde durch den Fluch der Götter dieser große Tithi „verbrannt“, das heißt: für das Ritual untauglich gemacht.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle: thus)

• शापेन: by the curse
• शापेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (3rd case/Instrumental), एकवचन

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (6th case/Genitive), बहुवचन

• निर्दग्धा: burnt up, consumed
• निर्दग्धा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्दग्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; निर्+√दह् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विशेषण (महातिथिः)

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• महातिथिः: the great occasion (Mahātithi)
• महातिथिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महातिथि (प्रातिपदिक; महा + अतिथि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (महान् अतिथिः = great guest/occasion)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gajacchāyā (context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic depiction of a ‘burnt tithi’: a calendrical disc or lunar day personified, scorched by a fiery curse emanating from devas; below, ritual implements are set aside.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Śāpa (curse)
• Mahā-tithi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa frames certain ritual restrictions as divinely instituted, underscoring reverence for dharmic calendars.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement occurs in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya’s Gajacchāyā-māhātmya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A tithi is declared effectively invalid/unsuitable for Śrāddha due to a divine curse.