Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

सद्य एव हि शापं त्वं दुष्टं प्राप्नुहि तापस । एवमुक्ते स शापाग्निर्वज्ररूपधरो महान्

Transliteration

sadya eva hi śāpaṃ tvaṃ duṣṭaṃ prāpnuhi tāpasa | evamukte sa śāpāgnirvajrarūpadharo mahān

Translation

«Немедля, о злой подвижник, прими это проклятие!» Когда так было сказано, поднялся могучий огонь проклятия, приняв образ ваджры — громового удара.

Word by Word

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-viseshana (Time/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• एव: certainly/just
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (restrictive/emphatic particle)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

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

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दुष्टम्: evil
• दुष्टम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-क्त from दुष्/दुष्?)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (शापम् इति)

• प्राप्नुहि: receive/attain
• प्राप्नुहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तापस: O ascetic
• तापस: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-viseshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• उक्ते: when (this) was said
• उक्ते: Adhikarana (Circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (past passive participle) ‘उक्त’; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; लोकेटिव-अब्सोल्यूट (when it was said)

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

• शापाग्निः: the fire of the curse
• शापाग्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शापरूपः अग्निः)

• वज्ररूपधरः: bearing a thunderbolt-form
• वज्ररूपधरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक; धृ-धातोः कर्तरि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (वज्ररूपं धरति)

• महान्: great
• महान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (शापाग्निः इति)

Speaker

Dvijātayaḥ / Munayaḥ (the sages), cursing

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From the sages’ utterance erupts a towering flame that condenses into a thunderbolt-like form, streaking through the air—an embodied curse-force poised to strike.

Characters & Entities

• Śāpa (curse)
• Śāpāgni (curse-fire)
• Vajra (thunderbolt)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Words charged with tapas can manifest as immediate cosmic consequence; hence speech must be governed by dharma and restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not identified in this shloka; it narrates the mechanism by which a sacred event unfolds in a tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.