Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

बक उवाच घृतकंबलमाहात्म्याद्देवदेवस्य शूलिनः । ममायुरीदृशं जातं बकत्वं मुनिशापतः

Transliteration

baka uvāca ghṛtakaṃbalamāhātmyāddevadevasya śūlinaḥ | mamāyurīdṛśaṃ jātaṃ bakatvaṃ muniśāpataḥ

Translation

Baka dit : «Par la grandeur de Ghṛtakambala—qui appartient au Dieu des dieux, au Seigneur Śiva, porteur du trident—ma durée de vie devint telle ; mais le fait d’être devenu “Baka” advint à cause de la malédiction d’un sage».

Word by Word

• बकः: the crane (Baka)
• बकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• घृतकंबलमाहात्म्यात्: from the greatness of Ghṛtakambala
• घृतकंबलमाहात्म्यात्: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृतकंबल + माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; समासः: घृतकंबलस्य माहात्म्यम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• देवदेवस्य: of the God of gods
• देवदेवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः: देवः एव देवः (देवदेवः)

• शूलिनः: of the trident-bearer (Śiva)
• शूलिनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• आयुः: lifespan
• आयुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ईदृशम्: such
• ईदृशम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जातम्: became
• जातम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• बकत्वम्: crane-hood, being a crane
• बकत्वम्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बकत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुनिशापतः: from a sage's curse
• मुनिशापतः: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; समासः: मुनेः शापः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Baka

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ghṛtakambala

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indradyumna

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Baka reveals: longevity came from the greatness of Ghṛtakambala of Śiva the trident-bearer; his bird-like state came from a sage’s curse—two forces shown as boon and burden.

Characters & Entities

• Baka
• Śiva (Śūlin)
• Ghṛtakambala
• Muni (sage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma teaches that sacred merit (tīrtha/Śiva-māhātmya) can protect and extend life, while unethical acts may still bring karmic consequences such as a curse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ghṛtakambala is explicitly praised as a powerful Śaiva sacred locus associated with the trident-bearing Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is listed in this verse; it attributes spiritual fruit to the māhātmya (sanctity) of the Śiva-associated place/object named Ghṛtakambala.