Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । कस्मात्सरस्वती शप्ता विश्वामित्रेण धीमता । महानद्या कोऽपराधस्तया तस्य विनिर्मितः

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kasmātsarasvatī śaptā viśvāmitreṇa dhīmatā | mahānadyā ko'parādhastayā tasya vinirmitaḥ

Translation

ಋಷಿಗಳು ಹೇಳಿದರು—ಧೀಮಂತನಾದ ವಿಶ್ವಾಮಿತ್ರನು ಸರಸ್ವತಿಯನ್ನು ಏಕೆ ಶಪಿಸಿದನು? ಆ ಮಹಾನದಿಯು ಅವನಿಗೆ ಯಾವ ಅಪರಾಧವನ್ನು ಮಾಡಿತು?

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Speaker)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्

• कस्मात्: why/from what reason
• कस्मात्: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative, 5th), एकवचनम्; प्रश्नार्थक (from what cause/why)

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī
• सरस्वती: Karma (Patient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• शप्ता: was cursed
• शप्ता: Kriya (Predicate state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; अर्थे: cursed

• विश्वामित्रेण: by Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रेण: Karana (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• धीमता: the wise
• धीमता: Karana (Qualifier of agent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (wise)

• महानद्या: by/with the great river
• महानद्या: Karana (Instrument/with respect to)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महानदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• कः: what/which
• कः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; प्रश्नार्थक

• अपराधः: offence
• अपराधः: Karta (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपराध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तया: by her
• तया: Karana (Agent/Doer)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तस्य: of him/of that (sage)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• विनिर्मितः: was done/committed
• विनिर्मितः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+निर्+मा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; अर्थे: produced/committed

Speaker

Ṛṣis (sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī (curse episode locus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (as respondent in the next verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages seated on kuśa grass near a riverbank, hands folded, asking about Sarasvatī’s curse; the river is subtly personified as a luminous feminine presence in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Sarasvatī
• Viśvāmitra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is clarified through inquiry—sages seek causes, responsibility, and moral order behind extraordinary events.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sarasvatī as a great sacred river, discussed within a tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a question prompting the explanatory narrative.