Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 113

Devanagari script

एवं मे दीर्घमायुष्यं संजातं शिवभक्तितः । घृतकम्बलमाहात्म्याद्बकत्वं मुनिशापतः

Transliteration

evaṃ me dīrghamāyuṣyaṃ saṃjātaṃ śivabhaktitaḥ | ghṛtakambalamāhātmyādbakatvaṃ muniśāpataḥ

Translation

So wurde mir durch Hingabe an Śiva ein langes Leben zuteil. Doch aufgrund der erhabenen Macht, die mit Ghṛtakambala verbunden ist, erlangte ich infolge des Fluches eines Weisen den Zustand eines Reihers (baka).

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Manner/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम्) = adverb ‘thus’

• मे: of me; my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), एकवचनम्; एन्क्लिटिक रूपम्

• दीर्घम्: long
• दीर्घम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīrgha (दीर्घ प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘आयुष्यं’ इति विशेषणम्

• आयुष्यम्: lifespan; longevity
• आयुष्यम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyuṣya (आयुष्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; वाक्ये कर्तृ/कर्म-भावे (संजातम् इति सह)

• संजातम्: has arisen; has come about
• संजातम्: Kriya (Predicate/State)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√jan (जन् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘उत्पन्नम्/प्राप्तम्’

• शिवभक्तितः: from devotion to Śiva
• शिवभक्तितः: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva-bhakti (शिव + भक्ति प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative), एकवचनम्; हेतौ ‘-तः’ = ‘from/because of’

• घृतकम्बलमाहात्म्यात्: from the greatness (māhātmya) of Ghṛtakambala
• घृतकम्बलमाहात्म्यात्: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghṛta-kambala-māhātmya (घृत + कम्बल + माहात्म्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative), एकवचनम्; कारणार्थे ‘-आत्’

• बकत्वम्: the state of being a crane
• बकत्वम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bakatva (बक + त्व प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• मुनिशापतः: due to the sage’s curse
• मुनिशापतः: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni-śāpa (मुनि + शाप प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative), एकवचनम्; ‘-तः’ = ‘due to/from’

Speaker

Unclear from snippet (first-person narrator within the episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ghṛtakambala

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee reflects: Śiva-bhakti granted long life; yet by a sage’s curse, through the Ghṛtakambala māhātmya context, he became a heron—grace and burden shown together.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Ghṛtakambala
• muni (sage)
• baka (heron)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to Śiva is praised as life-sustaining, while ethical-spiritual causality (including sage’s words) remains binding within dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ghṛtakambala is referenced via its māhātmya, indicating a sacred locus or revered sacred account tied to place and merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is given here; the verse links merit (māhātmya) and Śiva-bhakti with life and consequence.