Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

तेन शप्तस्तु कोपेन सुतार्थे वृषभध्वज । हास्येनापि मया प्रोक्तं नान्यथा संप्रजायते

Transliteration

tena śaptastu kopena sutārthe vṛṣabhadhvaja | hāsyenāpi mayā proktaṃ nānyathā saṃprajāyate

Translation

હે વૃષભધ્વજ! પુત્રીના હિત માટે તેણે ક્રોધમાં (ચંદ્રને) શાપ આપ્યો; અને મેં પણ હાસ્યમાં જે કહ્યું, તે પણ અન્યથા થઈ શકે નહીં—મારું વચન અવશ્ય ફળશે।

Word by Word

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शप्तः: was cursed
• शप्तः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु) → शप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/विरोध-निपात (particle)

• कोपेन: with anger
• कोपेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सुतार्थे: for the sake of (his) son
• सुतार्थे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; समासः: सुत (son) + अर्थ (purpose)

• वृषभध्वज: O Bull-bannered one (Śiva)
• वृषभध्वज: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ-ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः: वृषभ (bull) + ध्वज (banner)

• हास्येन: in jest, with laughter
• हास्येन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रोक्तम्: was spoken
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• संप्रजायते: comes to be, happens
• संप्रजायते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Dakṣa (implied, addressing Śiva as Vṛṣabhadhvaja)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva (Vṛṣabhadhvaja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dakṣa admits the curse was spoken in anger/jest yet must manifest; Śiva listens as the cosmic weight of words hangs in the air.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Śiva (Vṛṣabhadhvaja)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Speech carries karmic force; even words spoken lightly may become binding, so one should speak responsibly and truthfully.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is part of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative that leads into the Somēśvara/Śiva-liṅga sanctity connected with the Moon and sacred tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it establishes the narrative basis for later worship-related boons.