Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 44
नृग उवाच । यद्यस्ति दुष्कृतं किंचित्प्रथमं प्रतिपादय । अनुज्ञातो यमेनैवं कृकलासो भवेति वै । ततो वर्षसहस्राणि कृकलासत्वमाप्तवान्
nṛga uvāca | yadyasti duṣkṛtaṃ kiṃcitprathamaṃ pratipādaya | anujñāto yamenaivaṃ kṛkalāso bhaveti vai | tato varṣasahasrāṇi kṛkalāsatvamāptavān
Nṛga berkata: “Jika ada sedikit dosa pun, biarlah itu didahulukan.” Maka Yama mengizinkan demikian: “Jadilah seekor cicak,” lalu dia pun menanggung keadaan sebagai cicak selama ribuan tahun.
Nṛga
Listener: Brāhmaṇas/Ṛṣis
Scene: Nṛga, once a king, chooses sin first; Yama decrees lizardhood. The scene shifts to a massive lizard form—eyes expressive, body heavy—signaling long penance.
FAQs
Even slight wrongdoing can bind one to long suffering; willingly facing demerit first is portrayed as a step toward eventual purification.
The account is situated within Dvārakā Māhātmya; Nṛga’s eventual release is tied to the sanctity of Dvārakā and the Lord’s presence there.
None stated; the verse narrates karmic sanction and its prolonged result.