Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 113

Devanagari script

एवं मे दीर्घमायुष्यं संजातं शिवभक्तितः । घृतकम्बलमाहात्म्याद्बकत्वं मुनिशापतः

Transliteration

evaṃ me dīrghamāyuṣyaṃ saṃjātaṃ śivabhaktitaḥ | ghṛtakambalamāhātmyādbakatvaṃ muniśāpataḥ

Translation

Ainsi, par la dévotion à Śiva, une longue vie m’advint. Mais, en raison de la grandeur liée à Ghṛtakambala, sous l’effet de la malédiction d’un sage, j’atteignis l’état de héron (baka).

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Manner/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम्) = adverb ‘thus’

• मे: of me; my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), एकवचनम्; एन्क्लिटिक रूपम्

• दीर्घम्: long
• दीर्घम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīrgha (दीर्घ प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘आयुष्यं’ इति विशेषणम्

• आयुष्यम्: lifespan; longevity
• आयुष्यम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyuṣya (आयुष्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; वाक्ये कर्तृ/कर्म-भावे (संजातम् इति सह)

• संजातम्: has arisen; has come about
• संजातम्: Kriya (Predicate/State)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√jan (जन् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘उत्पन्नम्/प्राप्तम्’

• शिवभक्तितः: from devotion to Śiva
• शिवभक्तितः: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva-bhakti (शिव + भक्ति प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative), एकवचनम्; हेतौ ‘-तः’ = ‘from/because of’

• घृतकम्बलमाहात्म्यात्: from the greatness (māhātmya) of Ghṛtakambala
• घृतकम्बलमाहात्म्यात्: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghṛta-kambala-māhātmya (घृत + कम्बल + माहात्म्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative), एकवचनम्; कारणार्थे ‘-आत्’

• बकत्वम्: the state of being a crane
• बकत्वम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bakatva (बक + त्व प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• मुनिशापतः: due to the sage’s curse
• मुनिशापतः: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni-śāpa (मुनि + शाप प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative), एकवचनम्; ‘-तः’ = ‘due to/from’

Speaker

Unclear from snippet (first-person narrator within the episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ghṛtakambala

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee reflects: Śiva-bhakti granted long life; yet by a sage’s curse, through the Ghṛtakambala māhātmya context, he became a heron—grace and burden shown together.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Ghṛtakambala
• muni (sage)
• baka (heron)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to Śiva is praised as life-sustaining, while ethical-spiritual causality (including sage’s words) remains binding within dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ghṛtakambala is referenced via its māhātmya, indicating a sacred locus or revered sacred account tied to place and merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is given here; the verse links merit (māhātmya) and Śiva-bhakti with life and consequence.