Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

निवेदयत शीघ्रं मे यथा भस्म करोमि तम् । शापाग्निनाथ वा युष्मान्यदि सत्यं न वक्ष्यथ

Transliteration

nivedayata śīghraṃ me yathā bhasma karomi tam | śāpāgninātha vā yuṣmānyadi satyaṃ na vakṣyatha

Translation

വേഗം എനിക്ക് അറിയിക്കൂ, ഞാൻ അവനെ ഭസ്മമാക്കട്ടെ; അല്ലെങ്കിൽ നിങ്ങൾ സത്യം പറയാതിരുന്നാൽ എന്റെ ശാപാഗ്നിയാൽ നിങ്ങളെയേ ദഹിപ്പിക്കും.

Word by Word

• nivedayata: inform (me)
• nivedayata: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni√vid (धातु) (caus. nivedayati)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• śīghram: quickly
• śīghram: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śīghra (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• me: to me
• me: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• yathā: so that / as
• yathā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकार-अव्यय (conjunction/adverb: so that/as)

• bhasma: ashes
• bhasma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhasman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन (object-complement)

• karomi: I make
• karomi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; सकर्मक

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• śāpāgninā: with the fire of a curse
• śāpāgninā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (śāpasya agniḥ)

• atha: then / else
• atha: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अनन्तर-निपात (particle: or else/then)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-निपात (disjunctive particle: or)

• yuṣmān: you (all)
• yuṣmān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• satyam: the truth
• satyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेष्य (object: 'the truth')

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• vakṣyatha: you will say
• vakṣyatha: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन

Speaker

Saṃvarta (within the narrated episode)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful sage threatens to reduce an offender to ashes and warns the group that if they lie, his curse-fire will burn them too; the group recoils in fear.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃvarta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Satya (truth) is non-negotiable in dharma; intimidation here dramatizes the moral demand for truthful speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kāśī/Vārāṇasī narrative context frames the event, though the verse focuses on the sage’s power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it references śāpa (curse) as ascetic potency, not a ritual for general practice.