Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

सा प्रोवाच ततो देवान्विश्वमाता तु संस्तुता । मम शापो वृथा नैव भविष्यति सुरोत्तमाः

Transliteration

sā provāca tato devānviśvamātā tu saṃstutā | mama śāpo vṛthā naiva bhaviṣyati surottamāḥ

Translation

Then the World-Mother, thus praised, spoke to the gods: ‘O best of the suras, my curse will not become futile.’

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• प्रोवाच: said forth
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र- वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपदम्

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'then/from that')

• देवान्: to the gods (as addressees)
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (plural)

• विश्वमाता: the Mother of the universe
• विश्वमाता: Karta (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + माता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विश्वस्य माता)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: contrast/emphasis)

• संस्तुता: praised
• संस्तुता: Karta (Predicate adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-स्तु (धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular); भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

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

• शापः: curse
• शापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• वृथा: in vain
• वृथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: in vain)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपदम्

• सुरोत्तमाः: O best of gods
• सुरोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), बहुवचन (plural); कर्मधारयः (उत्तमाः सुराः)

Speaker

Pārvatī / Viśvamātā (contextual; ‘World-Mother’ speaking)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The World-Mother, freshly praised, addresses the assembled gods with a firm, unyielding proclamation that her curse will not be rendered futile.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvamātā (World-Mother)
• Deva
• Śāpa (curse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine law is unwavering—boons and curses alike uphold dharma and are not rendered meaningless by mere pleading.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it remains within the broader Tīrthamāhātmya of Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed in this verse.