Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

अहं दुर्वाससा शप्तो हिरण्याक्षसुतो बली । महिषत्वं समानीतस्त्वया देवी विमोक्षितः

Transliteration

ahaṃ durvāsasā śapto hiraṇyākṣasuto balī | mahiṣatvaṃ samānītastvayā devī vimokṣitaḥ

Translation

ข้าพเจ้าคือพาลี บุตรแห่งหิรัณยากษะ ผู้ถูกฤๅษีทุรวาสสาปให้ต้องคำสาป ถูกนำไปสู่สภาพเป็นควาย และได้พ้นจากพันธนาการด้วยพระองค์ โอพระเทวี

Word by Word

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन

• durvāsasā: by Durvāsas
• durvāsasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: durvāsas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/करण), एकवचन

• śaptaḥ: cursed
• śaptaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śap (शप्-धातु, क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् ‘cursed’

• hiraṇyākṣa-sutaḥ: son of Hiraṇyākṣa
• hiraṇyākṣa-sutaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiraṇyākṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हिरण्याक्षस्य सुतः)

• balī: Bali (the mighty one)
• balī: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: balin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणार्थे ‘mighty’

• mahiṣatvam: buffalo-form
• mahiṣatvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahiṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + -tva (त्व-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त ‘buffalo-hood/state of being a buffalo’

• samānītaḥ: brought (into)
• samānītaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-nī (नी-धातु, क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘brought/led into’

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3/करण), एकवचन

• devi: O Goddess
• devi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• vimokṣitaḥ: freed
• vimokṣitaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√muc (मुच्-धातु, क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘released/freed’

Speaker

Bali (Dānava), identifying himself to Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bali reveals his identity: a once-buffalo-formed figure now restored, standing before Devī with awe; the broken curse is symbolized by snapped fetters and a fading buffalo shadow behind him.

Characters & Entities

• Durvāsas
• Hiraṇyākṣa
• Bali
• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even severe karmic consequences like a sage’s curse can be mitigated through divine compassion and sincere turning toward the Goddess.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to a tīrtha-glorification setting (Tīrthamāhātmya), but this verse itself highlights the redemption event rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse frames liberation as the fruit of Devī’s intervention.