Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

न देयो भूपतेस्तस्य शापो ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः । अस्मदीयं वचस्तावच्छ्रोतव्यमविशंकितैः

Transliteration

na deyo bhūpatestasya śāpo brāhmaṇasattamāḥ | asmadīyaṃ vacastāvacchrotavyamaviśaṃkitaiḥ

Translation

ହେ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠମାନେ, ସେ ରାଜାଙ୍କୁ ଶାପ ଦିଅନ୍ତୁ ନାହିଁ। ପ୍ରଥମେ ନିର୍ଶଙ୍କ ଭାବେ ଆମ କଥା ଶୁଣନ୍ତୁ।

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक निपात (negation particle)

• deyaḥ: to be given
• deyaḥ: Kriyā (Obligation predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (gerundive/यत्—कर्तव्यता); पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• bhūpateḥ: of the king
• bhūpateḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūpati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी विभक्ति (genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun); पुंलिङ्ग (masculine/neuter), षष्ठी विभक्ति (genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• śāpaḥ: curse
• śāpaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• brāhmaṇa-sattamāḥ: O best of Brahmins
• brāhmaṇa-sattamāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन विभक्ति (vocative/8th), बहुवचन (plural); कर्मधारयः—ब्राह्मणेषु सत्तमाः (best among Brahmins)

• asmadīyam: our
• asmadīyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: asmadīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा विभक्ति (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• vacaḥ: statement/word
• vacaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा विभक्ति (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• tāvat: for now/so long
• tāvat: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); तावदर्थ (for now/so long)

• śrotavyam: to be listened to
• śrotavyam: Kriyā (Obligation predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (gerundive/तव्यत्—कर्तव्यता); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा विभक्ति (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• aviśaṃkitaiḥ: by the unhesitating (ones)
• aviśaṃkitaiḥ: Karta (Agent of listening/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-viśaṃkita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine) (or generic plural), तृतीया विभक्ति (instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

Speaker

The wives (bhāryāḥ) addressing the sages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa-sattamas (assembled sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Women address the assembled sages with folded hands shifting to an instructive gesture: ‘Do not curse; listen first.’ The sages’ raised hands of imprecation soften into attentive stillness.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇasattamāḥ
• bhūpati (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma begins with śravaṇa (patient listening) and restraint, even when one has the power to punish.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly named in this verse; it supports the larger māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the instruction is ethical—do not curse, and hear the petition.