Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

ततश्चाधोमुखो जातो लज्जया परया वृतः । प्रोवाच शापजं सर्वं हारीतस्य विचेष्टितम्

Transliteration

tataścādhomukho jāto lajjayā parayā vṛtaḥ | provāca śāpajaṃ sarvaṃ hārītasya viceṣṭitam

Translation

Alors, le visage baissé, enveloppé d’une profonde honte, il avoua que tout cela provenait d’une malédiction, née d’une conduite fautive liée à Hārīta.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — 'then'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक)

• अधोमुखः: down-faced; with face lowered
• अधोमुखः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधोमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (अधः मुखं यस्य/अधोमुखः), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जातः: became
• जातः: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) प्रयुक्तः विधेयवत्; पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'became/was born (i.e., became)'

• लज्जया: by shame
• लज्जया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लज्जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परया: great; intense
• परया: Karana (Instrument-qualifier/करणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; लज्जया इति विशेषण

• वृतः: covered; overcome
• वृतः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृ (धातु) → वृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'covered/overcome'

• प्रोवाच: he said
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• शापजम्: born of a curse; due to a curse
• शापजम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्तार्थ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शापात् जातम्), नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वम् इति विशेषण

• सर्वम्: everything; all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'everything'

• हारीतस्य: of Hārīta
• हारीतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हारीत (प्रातिपदिक; ऋषिनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive singular)

• विचेष्टितम्: the deed; the misbehavior
• विचेष्टितम्: Karma (Object-apposition/कर्म-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + चेष्ट् (धातु) → विचेष्टित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'act/deed/behavior'

Speaker

Kusumāyudha (Kāma) (deduced from direct address in prior verse and narrative flow)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāmeśvarapura-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāma stands with head bowed, face turned downward in shame, hands folded; he narrates that the suffering is curse-born, tied to Hārīta’s episode; listeners stand attentive, grave, and compassionate.

Characters & Entities

• Kusumāyudha (Kāma)
• Hārīta
• Śāpa (curse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Acknowledging fault and recognizing karmic causality prepares the seeker for purification through prescribed worship and tīrtha-sevā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative remains anchored in Kāmeśvarapura and soon points to a specific kuṇḍa whose sanctity removes afflictions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is specified in this verse; it provides the moral-causal background (śāpa) that later worship will resolve.