Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

तस्मात्संनीयतामेषा स्वगृहं धेनुरुत्तमा । किं करिष्यति विप्रोऽयं निर्भृत्यो वनसंस्थितः

Transliteration

tasmātsaṃnīyatāmeṣā svagṛhaṃ dhenuruttamā | kiṃ kariṣyati vipro'yaṃ nirbhṛtyo vanasaṃsthitaḥ

Translation

«فلْتُسَقْ إذن هذه البقرة الفاضلة إلى دارنا. فما نفعها لهذا البراهمي المقيم في الغابة بلا خَدَمٍ ولا أعوان؟»

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Adverbial (हेतु/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tasmāt (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: हेतौ/तस्मात्-प्रयोगः (ablatival adverb: 'therefore/from that'), अव्ययीभाव (functionally indeclinable)

• संनीयताम्: let (her) be brought
• संनीयताम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + nī (नीञ् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), कर्मणि-प्रयोगः, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (passive imperative, 3rd sg): ‘let (her) be led’

• एषा: this (cow)
• एषा: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (एतद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine, nominative singular)

• स्वगृहम्: to (my/our) own house
• स्वगृहम्: Gati/Karma (गति/कर्म; destination)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (स्व-प्रातिपदिक) + gṛha (गृह-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—स्वस्य गृहम् (to one’s own house)

• धेनुः: the cow
• धेनुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhenu (धेनु-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine, nominative singular)

• उत्तमा: excellent
• उत्तमा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine, nominative singular)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (किम्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• करिष्यति: will do
• करिष्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg)

• विप्रः: the brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/प्रदर्शक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular)

• निर्भृत्यः: without attendants
• निर्भृत्यः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirbhṛtya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘निर्भृत्य’ = सेवक-रहित (without servants)

• वनसंस्थितः: living in the forest
• वनसंस्थितः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vana (वन-प्रातिपदिक) + saṃsthita (स्था धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—वने संस्थितः (dwelling in the forest)

Speaker

Viśvāmitra (continuing)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king or leader, impressed by the miracle, orders the cow to be taken home, dismissing the forest-dwelling brāhmaṇa’s need; the cow stands near the hermitage; tension rises among attendants.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• dhenu (Nandinī implied)
• vipra (Vasiṣṭha implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly power may rationalize appropriation, but dharma evaluates ownership and sacred trust differently.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha-name is stated in this verse; it is part of a larger tīrtha-context narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse presents an ethically charged proposal rather than a rite.