Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12
Devanagari script
यथा मृत्युकृते मन्दः शृगालः सिंहवल्लभाम् । वने सुप्तां सुविश्वस्तां सर्वथाप्य कुतोभयाम्
Transliteration
yathā mṛtyukṛte mandaḥ śṛgālaḥ siṃhavallabhām | vane suptāṃ suviśvastāṃ sarvathāpya kutobhayām
Translation
كابنِ آوى أحمقَ يسعى إلى هلاكه، يقترب من حبيبةِ الأسد—نائمةً في الغابة، واثقةً كلَّ الثقة، لا خوفَ عليها بوجهٍ من الوجوه—هكذا مضى هو أيضًا.
Word by Word
yathājust as
yathā:
Sambandha (Simile marker/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyathā (अव्यय)
Formउपमानार्थक-अव्यय (as/just as)
mṛtyu-kṛtein a deathly situation / for death
mṛtyu-kṛte:
Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootmṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृदन्त)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (mṛtyau kṛte = in the matter of death / death-intent)
mandaḥdull, foolish
mandaḥ:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootmanda (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (शृगालः)
śṛgālaḥjackal
śṛgālaḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootśṛgāla (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
siṃha-vallabhāmthe lion's beloved (lioness)
siṃha-vallabhām:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootsiṃha (प्रातिपदिक) + vallabhā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (siṃhasya vallabhā)
vanein the forest
vane:
Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootvana (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन
suptāmsleeping
suptām:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootsvap (धातु) → supta (कृदन्त)
Formभूतकृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (वल्लभाम्)
suviśvastāmfully trusting, unguarded
suviśvastām:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootsu- (उपसर्ग) + viśvasta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘अत्यन्त-विश्वस्त’
sarvathāin every way
sarvathā:
Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsarvathā (अव्यय)
Formप्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (in every way)
apieven
api:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (even/also)
kuto-bhayāmfearless from any quarter
kuto-bhayām:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootkutaḥ (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक) + bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञर्थ-तत्पुरुषसदृश/अव्यय-तत्पुरुष (kutaḥ bhayam yasyāḥ = having no fear from anywhere)
Speaker
Sūta (narrative simile)
Tirtha Mahatmya
Type: kshetra
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A vivid simile: a jackal, foolish and death-bound, creeps toward a lion’s beloved sleeping fearlessly in the forest—implying the asura’s approach to the maiden is similarly suicidal.
Characters & Entities
Ś
Śṛgāla (jackal)S
Siṃha (lion)FAQs
Adharmic pursuit is self-destructive; the arrogant aggressor is likened to a jackal inviting death by provoking a lion.
No; this is a moralizing simile within the larger Vindhya-area tīrtha narrative.
None.