Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

शापं दुर्वाससा दत्तं राज्यं स्वं सहितैः सुतैः । सस्मार स नृपश्रेष्ठस्ततः प्रोवाच नंदिनीम्

Transliteration

śāpaṃ durvāsasā dattaṃ rājyaṃ svaṃ sahitaiḥ sutaiḥ | sasmāra sa nṛpaśreṣṭhastataḥ provāca naṃdinīm

Translation

ದುರ್ವಾಸರು ನೀಡಿದ ಶಾಪವನ್ನು—ಅದರಿಂದು ಪುತ್ರರೊಡನೆ ತನ್ನ ರಾಜ್ಯವನ್ನು ಕಳೆದುಕೊಂಡುದನ್ನು—ಸ್ಮರಿಸಿ, ನೃಪಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠನು ನಂತರ ನಂದಿನಿಯನ್ನು ಉದ್ದೇಶಿಸಿ ಹೇಳಿದನು।

Word by Word

• शापम्: curse
• शापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दुर्वाससा: by Durvāsas
• दुर्वाससा: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instr.)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; शापम् इति विशेषणम्

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• स्वम्: his own
• स्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; राज्यम् इति विशेषणम्

• सहितैः: together with
• सहितैः: Sahartha (Accompaniment/सहार्थ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (प्रातिपदिक; √सह् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘with’ अर्थे सह-प्रयोगः

• सुतैः: sons
• सुतैः: Sahartha (Accompaniment/सहार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• सस्मार: remembered
• सस्मार: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नृपश्रेष्ठः: best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नृपाणां श्रेष्ठः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): then/thereupon

• प्रोवाच: said/spoke
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• नन्दिनीम्: Nandinī
• नन्दिनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration; contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A newly restored king, still shaken, stands with folded hands before a gentle divine cow (Nandinī), his face showing remorse as he recalls Durvāsas’ curse and the loss of his sons and kingdom.

Characters & Entities

• Durvāsas
• Nandinī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even royal power is fragile under adharma and ṛṣi-śāpa; remembrance and humility become the doorway to liberation through a holy site’s grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to the Camatkārapura-kṣetra māhātmya within Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya (explicitly named in the subsequent verses).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated in this verse; it sets the narrative context for the later praise of worship and tīrtha-merit.