Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । ततः सा कथयामास सर्वं तक्षकसंभवम् । वृत्तांतं नागसंभूतं शापानुग्रहजं तथा

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tataḥ sā kathayāmāsa sarvaṃ takṣakasaṃbhavam | vṛttāṃtaṃ nāgasaṃbhūtaṃ śāpānugrahajaṃ tathā

Translation

സൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അതിനുശേഷം അവൾ തക്ഷകനാൽ ഉദ്ഭവിച്ച എല്ലാം, നാഗജന്യമായ ആ സംഭവവും, ശാപവും അനുഗ്രഹവും മൂലമുണ്ടായ സംഭവക്രമവും യഥാവിധി വിവരിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथयामास: narrated, told
• कथयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; णिच्-प्रयोग)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; णिच् (causative)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तक्षक-सम्भवम्: arising from Takṣaka
• तक्षक-सम्भवम्: Karma (Object-Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तक्षक (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): 'तक्षकस्य सम्भवः'

• वृत्तान्तम्: account, narrative
• वृत्तान्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्तान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नाग-सम्भूतम्: born of the Nāgas
• नाग-सम्भूतम्: Karma (Object-Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भूत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) from √भू with सम्-; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'नागात्/नागस्य सम्भूतम्'

• शाप-अनुग्रह-जम्: arising from curse and favor
• शाप-अनुग्रह-जम्: Karma (Object-Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुग्रह (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); समाहार-द्वन्द्वपूर्वक तत्पुरुष: 'शापश्च अनुग्रहश्च ताभ्यां जं (उत्पन्नम्)'

• तथा: also, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक (also; in that manner)

Speaker

Sūta (narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta as narrator, a woman recounting a wondrous, fear-tinged tale of Takṣaka and nāga-origins; listeners gathered, faces intent, the air heavy with fate (śāpa) and relief (anugraha).

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Takṣaka
• Nāga
• Bhaṭṭiṃkā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives interpret life-events as interwoven effects of śāpa (discipline of karma) and anugraha (restorative grace).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The recounting unfolds within the Kedāra tīrtha-māhātmya framework of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse introduces the explanatory narration that follows.