Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 139

Devanagari script

उलूक उवाच । शृणु तेऽहं प्रवक्ष्यामि दीर्घायुर्मे यथा स्थितम् । महेश्वरप्रसादेन बिल्वपत्रार्चनान्मया । उलूकत्वं मया प्राप्तं भृगोः शापान्महात्मनः

Transliteration

ulūka uvāca | śṛṇu te'haṃ pravakṣyāmi dīrghāyurme yathā sthitam | maheśvaraprasādena bilvapatrārcanānmayā | ulūkatvaṃ mayā prāptaṃ bhṛgoḥ śāpānmahātmanaḥ

Translation

Ulūka sprach: „Höre, ich will dir darlegen, wie mein langes Leben zustande kam. Durch die Gnade Maheshvaras – durch meine Verehrung mit Bilva-Blättern – erlangte ich es. Doch das Eulendasein empfing ich aufgrund des Fluches des großherzigen Bhṛgu.“

Word by Word

• ulūkaḥ: the owl (Ulūka)
• ulūkaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ulūka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• śṛṇu: listen
• śṛṇu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• te: to you/your
• te: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• pravakṣyāmi: will tell
• pravakṣyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• dīrghāyuḥ: long life
• dīrghāyuḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīrghāyus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• yathā: as, how
• yathā: Avyaya (Modifier/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, सम्बन्ध/प्रकारवाचक (correlative adverb: 'as/how')

• sthitam: situated/obtained
• sthitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthita (कृदन्त; √sthā)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'स्थित' = 'being/remaining'

• maheśvara-prasādena: by the grace of Maheśvara
• maheśvara-prasādena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक) + prasāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Maheśvarasya prasādaḥ)

• bilva-patra-arcanaāt: from worship with bilva leaves
• bilva-patra-arcanaāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bilva (प्रातिपदिक) + patra (प्रातिपदिक) + arcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (bilvapatrāṇāṃ arcanam)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• ulūkatvam: owl-hood, the state of being an owl
• ulūkatvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ulūka (प्रातिपदिक) + -tva (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; भाववाचक तद्धित (-त्व)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• prāptam: obtained
• prāptam: Kriya (Result/क्रिया-फल)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prāpta (कृदन्त; √āp with pra-)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थं

• bhṛgoḥ: of Bhṛgu
• bhṛgoḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhṛgu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• śāpāt: from the curse
• śāpāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• mahātmanaḥ: of the great-souled (sage)
• mahātmanaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; विशेषणं 'भृगोः'

Speaker

Ulūka

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indradyumna

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ulūka narrates: a vision of past worship—hands offering bilva leaves at a Śiva-liṅga—intercut with the shadow of Bhṛgu’s curse transforming him into an owl.

Characters & Entities

• Ulūka
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Bhṛgu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace grants boons through devotion (bilva worship of Śiva), yet one must also bear the moral force of a sage’s curse—both merit and fault mature as results.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter is within a tīrtha-māhātmya setting, but this verse specifically glorifies Śiva-worship with bilva leaves rather than naming a particular site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bilvapatra-arcana (offering bilva leaves to Maheśvara/Śiva) is indicated as a powerful devotional act associated with divine favor.