Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

मा त्वं शोकं कुरुष्वास्य बालकस्य कृते शुभे । एष शापादुतथ्यस्य ज्येष्ठभ्रातुर्बृहस्पतिः । अवतीर्णो धरापृष्ठे योग्यतां समवाप्स्यति

Transliteration

mā tvaṃ śokaṃ kuruṣvāsya bālakasya kṛte śubhe | eṣa śāpādutathyasya jyeṣṭhabhrāturbṛhaspatiḥ | avatīrṇo dharāpṛṣṭhe yogyatāṃ samavāpsyati

Translation

吉祥なる者よ、この幼子のために嘆くな。彼はウタティヤ（Utathya）の兄、ブリハスパティ（Bṛhaspati）である。呪いにより地上に降り、ここにおいて定められた相応の力と卓越を得るであろう。

Word by Word

• mā: do not
• mā: Pratishedha (Prohibition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• śokam: grief
• śokam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śoka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• kuruṣva: do / make
• kuruṣva: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: कृ (to do/make)

• asya: of this (child)
• asya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• bālakasya: of the boy
• bālakasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bālaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• kṛte: for the sake of
• kṛte: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √kṛ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; 'कृते' = 'for the sake of' (हेतौ/निमित्ते locative of purpose)

• śubhe: O auspicious one
• śubhe: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; विशेषण (स्त्री-सम्बोधन)

• eṣaḥ: this (one)
• eṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• śāpāt: from a curse
• śāpāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन

• utathyasya: of Utathya
• utathyasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: utathya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• jyeṣṭhabhrātuḥ: of the elder brother
• jyeṣṭhabhrātuḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jyeṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक) + bhrātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (ज्येष्ठः भ्राता), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• bṛhaspatiḥ: Bṛhaspati
• bṛhaspatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bṛhaspati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• avatīrṇaḥ: has descended
• avatīrṇaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-√tṝ (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/भूतभावे), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अर्थे: 'अवतीर्णः/अवतारं कृतवान्'

• dharāpṛṣṭhe: on the earth’s surface
• dharāpṛṣṭhe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharā (प्रातिपदिक) + pṛṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: धरायाः पृष्ठम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• yogyatām: fitness / suitability
• yogyatām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yogyatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• samavāpsyati: will attain
• samavāpsyati: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ava-√āp (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: आप् (to obtain)

Speaker

Ākāśavāṇī (celestial voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From the clouded sky, an unseen divine proclamation addresses the mother: the child is revealed as Bṛhaspati, descended due to a curse, destined to regain excellence on earth. The mother’s posture shifts from grief to astonished stillness beneath the pippala.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati
• Utathya
• śāpa (curse)
• dharā (earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Misfortune can conceal divine purpose; karma (including curses) becomes a vehicle for dharmic unfolding and eventual excellence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha setting is implied through the sacred Aśvattha refuge-site where the celestial assurance is given.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a consoling revelation about the child’s divine identity and destiny.