Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तवार्थाय मुने शप्ता विश्वामित्रेण कोपतः । रुधिरौघवहाजाता तपस्विजनवर्जिता

Transliteration

tavārthāya mune śaptā viśvāmitreṇa kopataḥ | rudhiraughavahājātā tapasvijanavarjitā

Translation

ఓ మునీ, నీ నిమిత్తమే కోపంతో విశ్వామిత్రుడు నన్ను శపించాడు; నేను రక్తప్రవాహాన్ని మోసే దానిగా మారి, తపస్వులచే వర్జితమయ్యాను.

Word by Word

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अर्थाय: for the sake (of)
• अर्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/beneficiary)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• शप्ता: was cursed
• शप्ता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शप् (धातु) → शप्त (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि—'cursed' (सरस्वती-नदी इत्यादि स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रकरणे)

• विश्वामित्रेण: by Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रेण: Karana/Karta (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• कोपतः: out of anger
• कोपतः: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त; हेत्वर्थे)

• रुधिरौघवहा: carrying a flood of blood
• रुधिरौघवहा: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुधिर + ओघ + वहा (वह्-धातोः स्त्रीप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः—'रुधिरस्य ओघं वहति'

• जाता: became
• जाता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'became'

• तपस्वि: ascetics
• तपस्वि: Compound member
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• जन: people
• जन: Compound member
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• वर्जिता: devoid of
• वर्जिता: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्ज् (धातु) → वर्जित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि—'devoid of/abandoned by'

Speaker

Sarasvatī (implied, speaking to Vasiṣṭha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī (afflicted by śāpa)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamas; within the quoted speech, listener is Vasiṣṭha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sarasvatī confesses: for Vasiṣṭha’s sake she was cursed by Viśvāmitra; her stream became a blood-torrent, abandoned by ascetics.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Vasiṣṭha
• Viśvāmitra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Anger-born curses distort even sacred currents; the verse warns against krodha and shows how dharma seeks restoration through humility and sage-guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Sarasvatī tīrtha is being explained through its curse-history, a common Purāṇic method of magnifying a place by narrating its fall and redemption.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual here; it frames the cause (śāpa) that necessitates remedial action.