Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

उपसर्गभये जाते तस्य दोषः प्रशाम्यति । शनैः शनैरसंदिग्धं पिप्पलादवचो यथा

Transliteration

upasargabhaye jāte tasya doṣaḥ praśāmyati | śanaiḥ śanairasaṃdigdhaṃ pippalādavaco yathā

Translation

جب آفت یا وبا کا خوف پیدا ہو تو اس کا عیب مٹ جاتا ہے—آہستہ آہستہ، بے شک—جیسا کہ پِپّلاد نے فرمایا ہے۔

Word by Word

• उपसर्गभये: when fear of calamity/affliction (arises)
• उपसर्गभये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपसर्गभय (प्रातिपदिक; उपसर्ग + भय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (उपसर्गस्य भयम्)

• जाते: having arisen
• जाते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; (उपसर्गभये इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• तस्य: of him/it
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• दोषः: fault; affliction
• दोषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• प्रशाम्यति: subsides; is pacified
• प्रशाम्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + शम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शनैः: slowly
• शनैः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनैः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• शनैः: gradually
• शनैः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनैः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb); पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

• असंदिग्धम्: undoubtedly; certainly
• असंदिग्धम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अ + संदिग्ध (प्रातिपदिक; सन्दिह्-धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (accusative adverbial)

• पिप्पलाद्: from (the sage) Pippalāda
• पिप्पलाद्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिप्पल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• वचः: speech; statement
• वचः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• यथा: as; just as
• यथा: Upamana (Comparison marker/उपमान-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

Speaker

Pippalāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unspecified

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Villagers fearful of an epidemic gather at the shrine; a priest recites; a peepal (aśvattha) tree motif hints at Pippalāda; the dark haze of disease slowly lifts over successive panels, replaced by clear light.

Characters & Entities

• Pippalāda
• Upasarga (affliction/epidemic)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred devotion works steadily: calamity-induced doṣas subside over time through the kṣetra’s grace and practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra/Kaṃsāreśvara as a refuge during upasargas (public and personal afflictions).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not specified in this verse; it reinforces the efficacy of the earlier-mentioned recitation/japa performed before the deity.