Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

पुरा मांडव्यशापेन शूद्रयोन्यवतारितः । सांप्रतं पुत्ररहितः कृतोऽपूज्यश्च सत्तम

Transliteration

purā māṃḍavyaśāpena śūdrayonyavatāritaḥ | sāṃprataṃ putrarahitaḥ kṛto'pūjyaśca sattama

Translation

Dahulu, kerana kutukan Māṇḍavya, aku dipaksa turun lahir dalam rahim Śūdra. Kini, wahai yang paling utama antara orang berbudi, aku dijadikan tidak beranak dan dilucutkan daripada penghormatan yang sewajarnya.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of time: 'formerly')

• माण्डव्य-शापेन: by Māṇḍavya’s curse
• माण्डव्य-शापेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माण्डव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (माण्डव्यस्य शापः) → तृतीया: 'by the curse of Māṇḍavya'

• शूद्र-योनौ: in a Śūdra womb/birth
• शूद्र-योनौ: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शूद्रस्य योनि:)

• अवतारितः: was brought down (incarnated)
• अवतारितः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-तॄ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे: 'was made to descend/was brought down'

• सांप्रतम्: now
• सांप्रतम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सांप्रतम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb: 'now/at present')

• पुत्र-रहितः: sonless
• पुत्र-रहितः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + रहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-तत्पुरुषार्थः: 'devoid of sons'

• कृतः: has been made
• कृतः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'has been made'

• अपूज्यः: unworthy of worship
• अपूज्यः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-पूज्य (प्रातिपदिक; पूज्य from पूज् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्ताधारित विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-प्रत्ययार्थः: 'not worthy of worship'

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

• सत्तम: O best one
• सत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; 'O best of the good'

Speaker

Yama (Dharmarāja)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A virtuous interlocutor addressed as ‘sattama’ (contextually likely Indra or a sage/assembly member)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humbled Vaivasvata (Yama), austere and dark-hued, speaks with folded hands, recounting an ancient curse and present misfortune—sonlessness and loss of honor—before a radiant Indra in a celestial assembly.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Māṇḍavya (sage)
• Brahmā (implied addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A curse (śāpa) in Purāṇic dharma functions as a moral instrument—reminding even cosmic officials that justice must be tempered with discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it is background to the Māhātmya’s unfolding.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is autobiographical within the narrative (effects of śāpa).