Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

आत्मा पुत्र त्वया रक्ष्यः सर्वदैव प्रय त्नतः । सर्वेभ्यः श्वापदेभ्यश्च भ्रमता गहने वने

Transliteration

ātmā putra tvayā rakṣyaḥ sarvadaiva praya tnataḥ | sarvebhyaḥ śvāpadebhyaśca bhramatā gahane vane

Translation

يا بُنيّ، احفظ نفسك على الدوام بجهدٍ ثابتٍ لا ينقطع. ولا سيّما إذا كنتَ تتيه في الغابة الكثيفة، فاحذر من كل صنوف السباع والوحوش.

Word by Word

• आत्मा: yourself, the self
• आत्मा: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (nominative singular)

• पुत्र: O son
• पुत्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/करण/कर्ता), एकवचन (instrumental: by you)

• रक्ष्यः: to be protected
• रक्ष्यः: Vidhi (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु) → रक्ष्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भाव्य/कर्तव्यतार्थक कृदन्त (यत्/ण्यत्), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be protected)

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: always)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Particle (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle: indeed/only)

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort, carefully
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (प्रयत्नतः = with effort/earnestly)

• सर्वेभ्यः: from all
• सर्वेभ्यः: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), बहुवचन (ablative plural: from all)

• श्वापदेभ्यः: from wild beasts/predators
• श्वापदेभ्यः: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वापद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रायः), पञ्चमी (5th), बहुवचन (ablative plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• भ्रमता: by you wandering / while wandering
• भ्रमता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु) → भ्रमन्त् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (भ्रमन्/भ्रमन्त्), तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक (by/while wandering)

• गहने: in the dense (part)
• गहने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (locative)

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Nandinī (the cow, speaking to her calf)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young pilgrim in forest with staff and bundle, alert posture; wild beasts (śvāpadāḥ) hinted at in shadows; an elder’s protective instruction overlays the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Nandinī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes responsible self-protection and vigilance; carelessness in dangerous settings leads to avoidable suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter but does not identify a named tīrtha in this snippet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the instruction is practical and ethical—constant effort (prayatna) and caution.