Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

पश्य देवेश शप्तोऽहं निर्दोषोपि द्विजन्मना । स्वधर्मे वर्तमानस्तु यथान्यः प्राकृतो जनः

Transliteration

paśya deveśa śapto'haṃ nirdoṣopi dvijanmanā | svadharme vartamānastu yathānyaḥ prākṛto janaḥ

Translation

హే దేవేశా! చూడుము, నేను నిర్దోషుడనైనప్పటికీ ఒక ద్విజునిచే శపింపబడితిని; స్వధర్మంలో ఉన్నప్పటికీ నేను సాధారణ మనుష్యునివలె అయితిని।

Word by Word

• paśya: see, behold
• paśya: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• deveśa: O Lord of gods
• deveśa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘देवानाम् ईशः’ (lord of gods)

• śaptaḥ: cursed
• śaptaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śap (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘शप्तः’ = cursed

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• nirdoṣaḥ: blameless
• nirdoṣaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir (उपसर्ग) + doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘aham’)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (even/also)

• dvijanmanā: by a twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
• dvijanmanā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvijanman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• svadharme: in my own duty
• svadharme: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• vartamānaḥ: abiding/acting
• vartamānaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛt (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tu: yet
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषबोधक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• yathā: like/as
• yathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारबोधक-अव्यय (as/like)

• anyaḥ: another, ordinary
• anyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘janaḥ’)

• prākṛtaḥ: common, mundane
• prākṛtaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prākṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘janaḥ’)

• janaḥ: person
• janaḥ: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Yama (Dharmarāja / Vaivasvata)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama stands before Brahmā, gesturing to himself as ‘nirdoṣa’, yet shown with a faint shackle-like aura of curse; Brahmā listens gravely, sages look on; a contrast between Yama’s regal insignia and his ‘ordinary man’ posture.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Brahmā
• Dvija (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is subtle: even rightful duty can meet unforeseen consequences, so humility and recourse to higher adjudication are essential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised directly in this verse; it supports the broader Māhātmya narrative arc.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a personal lament and theological reflection on svadharma and śāpa.