Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

दौर्भाग्यं दुर्निमित्तं च ह्यभिशापो नृपग्रहः । यदन्यद्दुष्कृतं कर्म नश्यते शङ्करोऽब्रवीत्

Transliteration

daurbhāgyaṃ durnimittaṃ ca hyabhiśāpo nṛpagrahaḥ | yadanyadduṣkṛtaṃ karma naśyate śaṅkaro'bravīt

Translation

Kemalangan, petanda buruk, sumpahan, dan cengkaman bala yang menimpa raja—serta segala perbuatan dosa yang lain—semuanya lenyap; demikian Śaṅkara menegaskan.

Word by Word

• दौर्भाग्यम्: misfortune
• दौर्भाग्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दौर्भाग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दुर्निमित्तम्: bad omen
• दुर्निमित्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्निमित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (दुष्टं निमित्तम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• अभिशापः: curse
• अभिशापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिशाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नृपग्रहः: seizure/affliction of the king (royal affliction)
• नृपग्रहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नृपस्य ग्रहः)

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• अन्यत्: other; any other
• अन्यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दुष्कृतम्: evil; sinful
• दुष्कृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कर्म: deed; action
• कर्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• नश्यते: perishes; is destroyed
• नश्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• शङ्करः: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शङ्करः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said; spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (citing Śaṅkara’s statement)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūla-tīrtha (Bhadrakālī-saṅgama)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahīpāla (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-king burdened by ominous signs approaches the confluence; after bathing and offering charity, dark clouds/inauspicious symbols dissipate; Śiva’s trident and calm presence signify the removal of curses and misfortune.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Nṛpagraha (royal affliction)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-sevā aligned with Śiva’s grace is portrayed as a purifier that dissolves both visible misfortunes and unseen karmic stains.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement belongs to the Śūla-tīrtha/Bhadrakālī-saṅgama context, whose visitation is said to remove inauspiciousness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied tīrtha-sevā (approach, worship, bathing/charity as per adjacent verses) as the means for destroying misfortune and sinful karma.