Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अथ तद्वचनांते स तत्क्षणात्पृथिवीपतिः । बभूवांत्यजरूपाढ्यो विकृताकारदेहभृत्

Transliteration

atha tadvacanāṃte sa tatkṣaṇātpṛthivīpatiḥ | babhūvāṃtyajarūpāḍhyo vikṛtākāradehabhṛt

Translation

Khi lời ấy vừa dứt, vị chúa tể của cõi đất lập tức mang hình dạng kẻ tiện dân, thân thể biến dạng, dung mạo méo mó.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (sequencing particle)

• तद्वचनान्ते: at the end of that statement
• तद्वचनान्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + वचन + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (at the end of that speech), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• तत्क्षणात्: immediately, from that moment
• तत्क्षणात्: Kāla (Time point/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समास (that very moment), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• पृथिवीपतिः: the king (lord of the earth)
• पृथिवीपतिः: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (lord of the earth), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• बभूव: became
• बभूव: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• अन्त्यजरूपाढ्यः: endowed with an outcaste form
• अन्त्यजरूपाढ्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्त्यज + रूप + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (endowed with the form of an outcaste), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• विकृताकारदेहभृत्: bearing a body of distorted form
• विकृताकारदेहभृत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकृत + आकार + देह + भृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (bearer of a body with a deformed shape), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king’s body begins transforming mid-scene: regal ornaments contrast with emerging outcaste features; sages remain steady, indicating the curse’s inevitability.

Characters & Entities

• pṛthivīpati (king)
• antyaja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Purāṇic ethics, adharma—especially against the guru—can yield immediate, visible consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the effect of the curse.