Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

सोऽपि राजा वरं लब्ध्वा शापं च तदनंतरम् । न जगाम गृहं भूयश्चकार सुमहत्तपः

Transliteration

so'pi rājā varaṃ labdhvā śāpaṃ ca tadanaṃtaram | na jagāma gṛhaṃ bhūyaścakāra sumahattapaḥ

Translation

Auch jener König, nachdem er einen Segen und unmittelbar darauf einen Fluch empfangen hatte, kehrte nicht nach Hause zurück; vielmehr nahm er erneut sehr große Askese (tapas) auf sich.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• api: also
• api: Emphasis (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (particle: 'also')

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• varam: a boon
• varam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• labdhvā: having obtained
• labdhvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (लभ् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive), 'having obtained'

• śāpam: a curse
• śāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction: 'and')

• tad: that
• tad: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'that'—anantaram इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• anantaram: immediately after
• anantaram: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anantara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-रूपेण (adverbial accusative), 'immediately after'

• na: not
• na: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (निपात)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• jagāma: went
• jagāma: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect/परोक्सभूत), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• gṛham: home
• gṛham: Karma (Goal/object of motion/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• bhūyaḥ: again, further
• bhūyaḥ: Kāla/Prakāra (Repetition/पुनरावृत्ति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: 'again/further')

• cakāra: did, performed
• cakāra: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect/परोक्सभूत), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• sumahat: very great
• sumahat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—'सु महान्' (intensifier)

• tapaḥ: austerity, penance
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, still in royal attire but now ascetic in posture, turns away from palace roads and sits in a forested tīrtha area, beginning severe austerities under sacred trees.

Characters & Entities

• King (unnamed in snippet)
• Śiva and Devī (implied as granters of boon/curse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When consequences arise from error, the dharmic response is renewed discipline and penance rather than complacency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the broader chapter’s Tīrthamāhātmya frame supplies the sacred-place context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertaking severe tapas (austerity) as a corrective spiritual practice.