Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

न शेकुस्ते यदा सर्वे ग्रहीतुं तं महेश्वरम् । तदा शिवं प्रकुपिता शेपुरित्थं द्विजातयः

Transliteration

na śekuste yadā sarve grahītuṃ taṃ maheśvaram | tadā śivaṃ prakupitā śepuritthaṃ dvijātayaḥ

Translation

Quand tous furent incapables de saisir ce Maheśvara, alors les sages deux fois nés, dans leur courroux, proférèrent ainsi une malédiction contre Śiva.

Word by Word

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

• शेकुः: they were able
• शेकुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; धातु: शक् (to be able)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (when)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ते)

• ग्रहितुम्: to seize
• ग्रहितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive), धातु: ग्रह् (to seize)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• महेश्वरम्: the Great Lord (Maheshvara)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; घटक: महा + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (then)

• शिवम्: Shiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रकुपिताः: enraged
• प्रकुपिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र- कुप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘having become enraged’

• शेपुः: they cursed
• शेपुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; धातु: शप् (to curse)

• इत्थम्: thus
• इत्थम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: thus/in this manner)

• द्विजातयः: the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजातयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजाति (प्रातिपदिक; घटक: द्वि + जाति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (two-born)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic storyteller, likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages, unable to catch Maheśvara, stand in a semicircle with blazing eyes; their raised hands and stern faces indicate the moment of pronouncing a curse, while Śiva remains elusive.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara
• Śiva
• Dvijātayaḥ (twice-born sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Anger can misdirect even the learned; spiritual power (śāpa) should align with discernment and devotion rather than impulsive outrage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter, but this single shloka does not identify the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces the act of cursing within the narrative.