Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

अथ तौ चरणौ तस्य तप्त शापोदकप्लुतौ । दग्धौ कृष्णत्वमापन्नौ तत्क्षणाद्द्विजसत्तमाः

Transliteration

atha tau caraṇau tasya tapta śāpodakaplutau | dagdhau kṛṣṇatvamāpannau tatkṣaṇāddvijasattamāḥ

Translation

मग त्याचे दोन्ही चरण शापासाठी तापवलेल्या जलाने भिजलेले असल्याने भाजून गेले आणि तत्क्षणी काळे पडले, हे द्विजसत्तमांनो!

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (narrative particle: “then/now”)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• चरणौ: feet
• चरणौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तप्त: heated; burning
• तप्त: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तप्त (प्रातिपदिक; √तप् + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle used adjectivally), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; ‘प्लुतौ’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• शाप-उदक-प्लुतौ: immersed in the water of a curse
• शाप-उदक-प्लुतौ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक) + प्लुत (प्रातिपदिक; √प्लु + क्त)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; समासः—शापस्य उदकम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + प्लुत (तत्पुरुष: “immersed in curse-water”)

• दग्धौ: burnt
• दग्धौ: Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दग्ध (प्रातिपदिक; √दह् + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• कृष्णत्वम्: blackness
• कृष्णत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आपन्नौ: having become/attained
• आपन्नौ: Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√पद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle in sense “having attained”), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; ‘चरणौ’ इत्यस्य विधेय

• तत्क्षणात्: from that very moment; instantly
• तत्क्षणात्: Apadana (Point of time-from/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम) + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—तत् + क्षण (तत्पुरुष: “that very moment”)

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of Brahmins
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थेऽपि पठ्यते (often used as address); समासः—द्विजानां सत्तमाः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: “best of twice-born”)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual: Purāṇic narrator addressing dvijas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close focus on the king’s feet as the poured water steams; the skin darkens and appears scorched; onlookers recoil, the sage and courtiers stunned by the instantaneous transformation.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Misused or misdirected spiritual force rebounds as suffering; dharma demands careful restraint in speech and ritual intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it narrates a karmic consequence within the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None as a prescription; it describes the effect of śāpa-udaka (water used for cursing).