Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

शापं दातुं मतिं चक्रे ततो वह्नेः सुदुःखितः । अब्रवीत्परुषं वाक्यं निन्दमानः पुनःपुनः

Transliteration

śāpaṃ dātuṃ matiṃ cakre tato vahneḥ suduḥkhitaḥ | abravītparuṣaṃ vākyaṃ nindamānaḥ punaḥpunaḥ

Translation

ତାପରେ ଅଗ୍ନିଙ୍କ ବିଷୟରେ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଦୁଃଖିତ ହୋଇ ସେ ଶାପ ଦେବାକୁ ମନସ୍ଥ କଲା; ଏବଂ ପୁନଃପୁନଃ ନିନ୍ଦା କରି କଠୋର ବାକ୍ୟ କହିଲା।

Word by Word

• śāpam: a curse
• śāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• dātum: to give
• dātum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु) + तुमुन् (infinitive)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), प्रयोजनार्थ (purpose)

• matim: intention, resolve
• matim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• cakre: made, formed
• cakre: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद (Atmanepada)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: sequence)

• vahneḥ: of fire / of Agni
• vahneḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vahni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• su-duḥkhitaḥ: very distressed
• su-duḥkhitaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-duḥkhita (प्रातिपदिक: su + duḥkhita)
• Form: समासः—कर्मधारय (Karmadharaya): su- (intensifier) + duḥkhita ‘distressed’; पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• abravīt: said, spoke
• abravīt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• paruṣam: harsh
• paruṣam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter) (वाक्य-विशेषण), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• vākyam: speech, words
• vākyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• nindamānaḥ: censuring
• nindamānaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nind (धातु) + nindamāna (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• punaḥ-punaḥ: again and again
• punaḥ-punaḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय) (reduplicated)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोग (repetition for frequency)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The husband, trembling with rage and sorrow, raises a hand as if to pronounce a curse toward the fire; Agni’s flames surge; the crowd looks fearful, anticipating cosmic repercussion.

Characters & Entities

• Agni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Harsh speech and impulsive cursing, especially against divine principles, are shown as symptoms of delusion and suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.