Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणा ऊचुः । यदि तं ब्राह्मणं वह्ने नास्माकं कीर्तयिष्यसि । तत्ते शापं प्रदास्यामस्तस्माच्छीघ्रं वदस्व नः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ | yadi taṃ brāhmaṇaṃ vahne nāsmākaṃ kīrtayiṣyasi | tatte śāpaṃ pradāsyāmastasmācchīghraṃ vadasva naḥ

Translation

Брахманы сказали: «Если ты, о Агни, не укажешь нам того брахмана, мы наложим на тебя проклятие. Потому скажи нам скорее».

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Clause linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणम्: the Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• वह्ने: O Agni
• वह्ने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• अस्माकम्: of us, our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• कीर्तयिष्यसि: you will mention/proclaim
• कीर्तयिष्यसि: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु; √कीर्त् causative)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘शापम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणवत् (that)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• शापम्: curse
• शापम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• प्रदास्यामः: we will give/inflict
• प्रदास्यामः: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत्/निपातप्राय (indeclinable used as ‘therefore/from that reason’)

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• वदस्व: speak
• वदस्व: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नः: to us / for us
• नः: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/4th), बहुवचन; एन्क्लिटिक सर्वनाम

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agni

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of brāhmaṇas, stern and agitated, confront Agni and threaten a curse unless he reveals the identity of a brāhmaṇa in question.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Brāhmaṇas
• Unnamed brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights the grave power attributed to speech and intention in Purāṇic ethics—especially the potency of a curse—and the responsibility that comes with it.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage is set within a tīrtha/kuṇḍa context in Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; this verse itself does not name the location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual act is prescribed here; it is a narrative pressure point leading to a later instruction connected with bathing/purification.