Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

अन्यथा ब्रह्मणो वाक्यं न ते कर्तुं प्रयुज्यते । तस्मात्कुरुष्व विप्रेन्द्र शापस्यानुग्रहं हरेः

Transliteration

anyathā brahmaṇo vākyaṃ na te kartuṃ prayujyate | tasmātkuruṣva viprendra śāpasyānugrahaṃ hareḥ

Translation

അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ബ്രഹ്മാവിന്റെ വചനം നിനക്കാൽ നടപ്പാക്കപ്പെടുന്നത് യുക്തമാകുകയില്ല. അതിനാൽ, ഹേ വിപ്രേന്ദ്രാ, ഹരിക്കായി ആ ശാപത്തെ അനുഗ്രഹമായി മാറ്റുക.

Word by Word

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: word; command
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/nom or 2nd/acc), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• ते: for you
• ते: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/dative), एकवचन

• कर्तुम्: to do; to perform
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive), कर्तुम् = to do

• प्रयुज्यते: is employed; is possible/used
• प्रयुज्यते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-yuj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tasmāt (अव्यय/तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय (हेतौ/तस्मात् = therefore)

• कुरुष्व: do (you)!
• कुरुष्व: Kriyā (Injunction/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विप्रेन्द्र: O chief of Brahmins
• विप्रेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विप्राणाम् इन्द्रः)

• शापस्य: of the curse
• शापस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

• अनुग्रहम्: favor; mitigation; grace
• अनुग्रहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anugraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• हरेः: of Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Viṣṇu/Śiva (divine counsel; exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A respectful appeal to the sage: do not negate Brahmā’s word; instead, reshape the curse into benevolent grace for Hari’s purpose.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Hari (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma aims at restoration: even a curse can be redirected into compassionate grace to protect cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as moral instruction within the tīrtha narrative; no specific site-name appears in this shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual; it prescribes a dharmic action—tempering punishment with mercy.