Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

विप्रशापाग्निना दग्धं शरीरं मम शोभने । स्वतेजसा पुनः कर्त्तुमर्हस्यमृतसंभवे

Transliteration

vipraśāpāgninā dagdhaṃ śarīraṃ mama śobhane | svatejasā punaḥ karttumarhasyamṛtasaṃbhave

Translation

Mein Körper ist durch das Feuer des Fluches eines Brāhmaṇa verbrannt worden, o Strahlende. O Ursprung der Unsterblichkeit, es ziemt dir, ihn durch deinen eigenen göttlichen Glanz wiederherzustellen.

Word by Word

• विप्र-शाप-अग्निना: by the fire of a brahmin's curse
• विप्र-शाप-अग्निना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शाप (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विप्रस्य शापः → विप्रशापः; विप्रशापस्य अग्निः → विप्रशापाग्निः)

• दग्धम्: burnt
• दग्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दह् (धातु) → दग्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (शरीरम्)

• शरीरम्: body
• शरीरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शोभने: O beautiful one
• शोभने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• स्व-तेजसा: by (your) own radiance/power
• स्व-तेजसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य तेजः)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Adverbial (Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• कर्तुम्: to make (restore)
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (infinitive); अर्थः—कर्तुं = to do/make

• अर्हसि: you are able/you ought
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• अमृत-सम्भवे: O one born of nectar
• अमृत-सम्भवे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अमृतस्य सम्भवः)

Speaker

Deveśa (the Lord), requesting restoration after a brāhmaṇa-curse (context: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A suffering figure with a scorched, dim body pleads before the radiant Devī; her aura pours like nectar-fire, reconstituting the devotee’s form from ash to wholeness.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa (vipra)
• Devi (addressed as Amṛtasaṃbhavā)
• Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even great beings are shown as subject to dharma’s moral force (a brāhmaṇa’s curse), and restoration is sought through divine grace rather than mere power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse highlights the potency of śāpa (curse) and the salvific power of the Goddess’s tejas.