Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

सोऽशपत्कुपितोऽस्मासु ब्राह्मणः क्षत्रियर्षभ । ग्राहभूता जले यूयं भविष्यथ शतं समाः

Transliteration

so'śapatkupito'smāsu brāhmaṇaḥ kṣatriyarṣabha | grāhabhūtā jale yūyaṃ bhaviṣyatha śataṃ samāḥ

Translation

ହେ କ୍ଷତ୍ରିୟର୍ଷଭ! ଆମ ଉପରେ କ୍ରୋଧିତ ହୋଇ ସେ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ ଶାପ ଦେଲେ—“ତୁମେ ଜଳରେ ଗ୍ରାହ-ଭୂତ ହୋଇ ଶତ ବର୍ଷ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ରହିବ।”

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अशपत्: cursed
• अशपत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कुपितः: angered
• कुपितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुप् (धातु) → कुपित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूत-कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (of ब्राह्मणः/सः)

• अस्मासु: at us / toward us
• अस्मासु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• ब्राह्मणः: the brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• क्षत्रिय-ऋषभ: O best of kṣatriyas
• क्षत्रिय-ऋषभ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (bull among kṣatriyas)

• ग्राह-भूताः: having become crocodiles
• ग्राह-भूताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राह (प्रातिपदिक) + भू (धातु) → भूत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (having become crocodiles)

• जले: in water
• जले: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• यूयम्: you (all)
• यूयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• भविष्यथ: you will be
• भविष्यथ: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; संख्याविशेषण (quantifier)

• समाः: years
• समाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition addressing a royal listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kṣatriya interlocutor addressed as ‘kṣatriyarṣabha’

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The brāhmaṇa, now wrathful yet majestic, pronounces a curse; the women recoil as the vision of crocodile-spirits in water is foreshadowed—dark ripples, looming jaws, spectral forms.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇa
• kṣatriya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disrespect and uncontrolled desire can invite swift karmic consequence; the brāhmaṇa’s tapas-backed speech is portrayed as spiritually potent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as moral narrative within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it focuses on curse-result (śāpa-phala) rather than a vrata or rite.