Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

निरपत्या निर्दयाश्च सर्वे देवा भविष्यथ । ततः प्रसादयामासुः प्रणताः शापयंत्रिताः

Transliteration

nirapatyā nirdayāśca sarve devā bhaviṣyatha | tataḥ prasādayāmāsuḥ praṇatāḥ śāpayaṃtritāḥ

Translation

神々よ、汝らは皆、子を得ず、慈悲を失うであろう。すると呪いに縛られた彼らはひれ伏し、彼女の恩寵を乞い始めた。

Word by Word

• निरपत्याः: childless
• निरपत्याः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + अपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural masculine; विशेषण

• निर्दयाः: merciless
• निर्दयाः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + दय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural masculine; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural masculine; विशेषण

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• भविष्यथ: you will become
• भविष्यथ: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्काल), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Simple future, 2nd person plural; परस्मैपद

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरवाचक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• प्रसादयामासुः: they propitiated/pleased (her)
• प्रसादयामासुः: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + सद् (धातु) (णिच् causative: प्रसादय)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Perfect, 3rd person plural; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

• प्रणताः: bowed down
• प्रणताः: Karta (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural masculine

• शापयंत्रिताः: restrained/afflicted by the curse
• शापयंत्रिताः: Karta (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाप + यन्त्रित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural masculine; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (शापेन यंत्रिताः)

Speaker

Devī (first hemistich); Narrator (second hemistich describing the Devas’ response)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas, now afflicted and fearful, kneel with folded hands before Devī; their faces show remorse and pleading, the scene shifting from wrath to supplication.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Devas
• Śāpa (curse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A curse is not merely punishment but a turning-point that drives surrender (praṇāma) and the seeking of grace (prasāda).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is part of a broader Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative; the excerpt itself does not name the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The action indicated is devotional surrender—prostration and propitiation—rather than a named vrata or pilgrimage act in this verse.