Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

आदाय सलिलं हस्ते शुचिर्भूत्वासमाहितः । प्रददौ दारुणं शापं धर्मराजाय दुःखितः

Transliteration

ādāya salilaṃ haste śucirbhūtvāsamāhitaḥ | pradadau dāruṇaṃ śāpaṃ dharmarājāya duḥkhitaḥ

Translation

اس نے ہاتھ میں پانی لیا، پاکیزہ ہو کر بھی دل بےقرار تھا؛ غم زدہ ہو کر اس نے دھرم راج پر نہایت سخت لعنت (شاپ) جاری کی۔

Word by Word

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having taken’

• सलिलम्: water
• सलिलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• हस्ते: in (his) hand
• हस्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (pure)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having become’

• असमाहितः: agitated, not composed
• असमाहितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-सम्-आ-धा (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक (not composed/uncollected)

• प्रददौ: he gave/uttered
• प्रददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; प्रददौ = gave/uttered

• दारुणम्: terrible
• दारुणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘शापम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

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

• धर्मराजाय: to Dharmarāja
• धर्मराजाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन

• दुःखितः: grieved
• दुःखितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःखित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भाववाचक-विशेषण (sorrowful)

Speaker

Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The brāhmaṇa lifts his right hand with water cupped in the palm, eyes wet with grief yet blazing; the court of Yama watches as the curse is about to be uttered.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmarāja (Yama)
• brāhmaṇa Upādhyāya (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even ritual purity can be overshadowed by mental agitation; dharma requires both outer and inner composure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharmarājeśvara-tīrtha narrative is being established through an origin-story involving Dharmarāja and a brāhmaṇa’s curse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A ritual gesture is referenced: taking water in the hand (salila in haste), commonly used in formal declarations such as vows or curses.