Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

भार्गव उवाच । निशाचरस्य धर्मेण यत्त्वयोद्वाहिता सुता । तस्मान्निशाचरः पाप भव त्वमविलंबितम्

Transliteration

bhārgava uvāca | niśācarasya dharmeṇa yattvayodvāhitā sutā | tasmānniśācaraḥ pāpa bhava tvamavilaṃbitam

Translation

ਭਾਰਗਵ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ: "ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਤੂੰ ਰਾਖਸ਼ਾਂ ਦੇ ਧਰਮ ਦੀ ਪਾਲਣਾ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਮੇਰੀ ਧੀ ਨਾਲ ਵਿਆਹ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ, ਇਸ ਲਈ ਹੇ ਪਾਪੀ! ਤੂੰ ਹੁਣੇ ਹੀ ਬਿਨਾਂ ਕਿਸੇ ਦੇਰੀ ਦੇ ਨਿਸ਼ਾਚਰ (ਰਾਖਸ਼) ਬਣ ਜਾ।"

Word by Word

• भार्गवः: Bhārgava
• भार्गवः: Karta (Speaker)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्गव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वक्ता/कर्ता

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• निशाचरस्य: of a night-roamer (demon)
• निशाचरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशाचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• धर्मेण: by the custom/law
• धर्मेण: Karaṇa (Means/according to)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; करणम्

• यत्: that which / since
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative pronoun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent in passive construction)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्तृ-करणभाव (agent in passive)

• उद्वाहिता: was married off
• उद्वाहिता: Kriya (Predicate in passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्वाहित (प्रातिपदिक; उद्+वह् PPP)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP) used predicatively; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• सुता: the daughter
• सुता: Karta (Passive subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता (passive subject)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Nigamana (Therefore)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम-अव्ययवत्)
• Form: हेतौ/निष्कर्षे अव्ययप्रयोगः (therefore/from that)

• निशाचरः: a night-roamer (demon)
• निशाचरः: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशाचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• पाप: O sinner
• पाप: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; संबोधनपदम्

• भव: become
• भव: Kriya (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता

• अविलम्बितम्: without delay, immediately
• अविलम्बितम्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Manner/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अविलम्बित (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्/अ- + विलम्बित PPP)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-एकवचन-द्वितीया/प्रथमा प्रयोगः; अव्ययीभाव (adverbial accusative) अर्थः—without delay

Speaker

Bhārgava (Paraśurāma/Bhṛgu-lineage sage)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The offender (addressed as ‘pāpa’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Bhārgava brāhmaṇa pronounces a curse with raised hand; the offender recoils as shadowy, nocturnal traits begin to overtake him—symbolic onset of niśācara nature.

Characters & Entities

• Bhārgava
• niśācara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma—especially in matters of marriage and social duty—brings immediate karmic consequence; wrong conduct reshapes one’s destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is praised in this verse; it is a dharma-focused narrative moment within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse centers on conduct (dharma) and the consequence of violating or mimicking improper custom.