Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

युष्मत्कृते वयं शप्ताः पावकेन सुरेश्वराः । तस्माज्जिह्वाकृतेऽस्माकमुपायश्चिंत्यतामपि

Transliteration

yuṣmatkṛte vayaṃ śaptāḥ pāvakena sureśvarāḥ | tasmājjihvākṛte'smākamupāyaściṃtyatāmapi

Translation

ಹೇ ಸುರೇಶ್ವರರೇ! ನಿಮ್ಮ ಕಾರಣದಿಂದ ನಾವು ಪಾವಕನಾದ ಅಗ್ನಿಯಿಂದ ಶಪಿಸಲ್ಪಟ್ಟಿದ್ದೇವೆ. ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ನಮ್ಮ ನಾಲಿಗೆಯ ಈ ವಿಷಯಕ್ಕೆ ಒಂದು ಉಪಾಯವನ್ನೂ ಚಿಂತಿಸಿರಿ.

Word by Word

• युष्मत्कृते: for your sake
• युष्मत्कृते: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (युष्माकं कृते = for your sake); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th) एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग (idiomatic locative: 'for the sake of')

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• शप्ताः: cursed
• शप्ताः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √शप् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (agreeing with वयम्)

• पावकेन: by Agni (fire)
• पावकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• सुरेश्वराः: O lords of the gods
• सुरेश्वराः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सुराणाम् ईश्वराः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे अपि प्रयोगः (addressing)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Therefore/from that/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन

• जिह्वाकृते: for (the matter of) the tongue
• जिह्वाकृते: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जिह्वा (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जिह्वायाः कृते = for the sake of the tongue); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग

• अस्माकम्: of us, for us
• अस्माकम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• उपायः: a means, remedy
• उपायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• चिन्त्यताम्: let (it) be considered
• चिन्त्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative); कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (let it be thought/considered)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: also/even)

Speaker

Gajendra-Śuka-Maṇḍūka (the afflicted beings, collectively)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The elephant-king, parrot, and frog address the devas with folded hands; a subtle fiery presence (Agni) is suggested in the background, indicating the source of the curse; emphasis on the mouth/tongue motif symbolically.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Pāvaka)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When suffering arises—even through indirect causes—one should seek dharmic counsel and a corrective path rather than despair.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter’s tīrtha focus is Agnitīrtha; this verse belongs to the legend explaining circumstances around divine/fire-related events.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; it requests an upāya (means of relief) for a curse involving the tongue.