Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 44
नृग उवाच । यद्यस्ति दुष्कृतं किंचित्प्रथमं प्रतिपादय । अनुज्ञातो यमेनैवं कृकलासो भवेति वै । ततो वर्षसहस्राणि कृकलासत्वमाप्तवान्
nṛga uvāca | yadyasti duṣkṛtaṃ kiṃcitprathamaṃ pratipādaya | anujñāto yamenaivaṃ kṛkalāso bhaveti vai | tato varṣasahasrāṇi kṛkalāsatvamāptavān
Nṛga dit : « S’il existe quelque faute, si minime soit-elle, qu’elle soit d’abord exposée. » Ainsi, avec l’assentiment de Yama — « Deviens vraiment un lézard » — il obtint l’état de lézard durant des milliers d’années.
Nṛga
Listener: Brāhmaṇas/Ṛṣis
Scene: Nṛga, once a king, chooses sin first; Yama decrees lizardhood. The scene shifts to a massive lizard form—eyes expressive, body heavy—signaling long penance.
FAQs
Even slight wrongdoing can bind one to long suffering; willingly facing demerit first is portrayed as a step toward eventual purification.
The account is situated within Dvārakā Māhātmya; Nṛga’s eventual release is tied to the sanctity of Dvārakā and the Lord’s presence there.
None stated; the verse narrates karmic sanction and its prolonged result.