Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

यस्मात्पापे वचो मह्यं न कृतं कुनदि त्वया । तस्माद्रक्तप्रवाहस्ते जलजोऽयं भविष्यति

Transliteration

yasmātpāpe vaco mahyaṃ na kṛtaṃ kunadi tvayā | tasmādraktapravāhaste jalajo'yaṃ bhaviṣyati

Translation

«Parce que toi, ô rivière pécheresse, tu n’as pas accompli mon ordre, ce courant né de tes eaux deviendra un flot de sang.»

Word by Word

• यस्मात्: because
• यस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular (because/from which)

• पापे: in sin
• पापे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (in/for a sinful matter)

• वचः: word
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; here as object ‘word’

• मह्यम्: to me
• मह्यम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन; Dative singular (to me)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘done’ (with implied ‘was’)

• कुनदि: O wicked river
• कुनदि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कु-नदी (प्रातिपदिक; कु + नदी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative) विभक्ति, एकवचन; addressing the river as ‘bad river’

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by you)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular (therefore)

• रक्तप्रवाहः: a stream of blood
• रक्तप्रवाहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्त + प्रवाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (a flow/stream of blood)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular (your/of you)

• जलजः: water-born
• जलजः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जलज (प्रातिपदिक; जल + ज ‘born in water’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular; qualifying रक्तप्रवाहः

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (this)

• भविष्यति: will become
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; will become

Speaker

Viśvāmitra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The river turns crimson: waves like flowing blood, lotus petals darkened; Viśvāmitra stands stern, finger extended; the river goddess appears stricken as the curse takes effect.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Nadī (the river)
• Śāpa (curse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse dramatizes how anger seeks to punish righteousness; it cautions that misuse of spiritual power can distort nature and society.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A particular sacred river is in view, but its proper name is not stated in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is the pronouncement of a curse affecting the river’s waters.