Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

एवं तदा दमनकोत्सव ईश्वरस्य आंदोलनेन नृपवेश्मनि मेऽवतारः । शम्भोर्गणत्वमभवच्च तथाग्निवेश्यशापेन गृध्र इह भद्र तवेदमुक्तम्

Transliteration

evaṃ tadā damanakotsava īśvarasya āṃdolanena nṛpaveśmani me'vatāraḥ | śambhorgaṇatvamabhavacca tathāgniveśyaśāpena gṛdhra iha bhadra tavedamuktam

Translation

ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ໃນເວລານັ້ນ—ໃນງານດະມະນະກະອຸດສະວະຂອງພຣະເຈົ້າ ແລະພິທີອັນໂດລະນະ (ແກວ່ງຊິງຊ້າ) ຂອງອີສະວະຣະ—ການອະວະຕານຂອງຂ້ອຍເກີດຂຶ້ນໃນພະຣາຊວັງ. ຂ້ອຍຍັງໄດ້ເປັນຄະນະ (gaṇa) ຂອງຊັມພູ; ແລະທີ່ນີ້ ໂອ ຜູ້ດີ, ໂດຍຄໍາສາບແຊ່ງຂອງອັກນິເວດສະຍະ ຂ້ອຍກາຍເປັນນົກແຮ້. ນີ້ແມ່ນສິ່ງທີ່ໄດ້ເລົ່າໃຫ້ເຈົ້າຟັງ.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb: thus)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (then)

• दमनकोत्सवः: the Damanaka festival
• दमनकोत्सवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दमनक + उत्सव (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (दमनकस्य उत्सवः)

• ईश्वरस्य: of the Lord
• ईश्वरस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• आंदोलनेन: by the swinging/rocking
• आंदोलनेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आंदोलन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• नृपवेश्मनि: in the king's palace
• नृपवेश्मनि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + वेश्मन् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नृपस्य वेश्म)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अवतारः: incarnation, descent
• अवतारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• शम्भोः: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• गणत्वम्: the state of being a gaṇa (attendant)
• गणत्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन

• अभवत्: became, occurred
• अभवत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction: and)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक (so, likewise)

• अग्निवेश्यशापेन: by the curse of Agniveśya
• अग्निवेश्यशापेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निवेश्य + शाप (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अग्निवेश्यस्य शापः)

• गृध्रः: (as) a vulture
• गृध्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृध्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; संबोधनार्थे अपि प्रयोगः सम्भवः (contextual)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• भद्र: O good one
• भद्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• तव: to you / your
• तव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उक्तम्: said, spoken
• उक्तम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उक्त (कृदन्त; √वच्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (it has been said)

Speaker

Gṛdhra (the vulture), speaking to Indradyumna (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Īśvara-āndolana (swing festival context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indradyumna (addressed as 'bhadra')

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand Śaiva festival in a royal palace: Īśvara’s swing (āndolana) is being ceremonially moved; amid lamps, flowers, and music, the narrator’s ‘descent’ occurs and he gains gaṇa-status, yet bears Agniveśya’s curse as a vulture.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Agniveśya
• Gṛdhra
• Nṛpa (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even exalted beings can fall through a curse, yet divine association (Śiva’s gaṇas) and truthful narration become steps toward restoration and clarity of karma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is on Śiva’s festival context and the karmic backstory within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A festival observance is referenced—Īśvara’s Damanaka-utsava and the āṃdolana (ceremonial swing)—but no direct injunction for dāna, snāna, or japa appears in this verse.