Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अथापश्यत्स्तोकजलां सा तत्र लघुकूपिकाम् । तृषार्तां कपिलां गां वर्तमानां तदां तिके

Transliteration

athāpaśyatstokajalāṃ sā tatra laghukūpikām | tṛṣārtāṃ kapilāṃ gāṃ vartamānāṃ tadāṃ tike

Translation

ثم رأت هناك بئرًا صغيرة لا ماء فيها إلا قليلًا، وبقربها بقرةٌ كابِلا بلونٍ أشقر مائلٍ إلى الحمرة، قائمةٌ وهي تتلوّى من العطش.

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Connector/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तरार्थक)

• apaśyat: saw
• apaśyat: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• stoka-jalām: having little water
• stoka-jalām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: stoka (प्रातिपदिक) + jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (स्तोकं जलं यस्याः/यत्र); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया-कर्म), एकवचन; ‘कूपिका’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• laghu-kūpikām: a small well
• laghu-kūpikām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: laghu (प्रातिपदिक) + kūpikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (लघुः कूपिका); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tṛṣā-ārtām: distressed by thirst
• tṛṣā-ārtām: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tṛṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + ārta (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तृषया आर्ता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘गाम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• kapilām: brown/tawny
• kapilām: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kapila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; वर्णविशेषणम्

• gām: a cow
• gām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vartamānām: standing (there)
• vartamānām: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛt (धातु) + māna (शतृ/शानच्)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (शानच्), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘गाम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; अर्थः ‘standing/being present’

• tadā: at that time
• tadā: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक)

• antike: nearby
• antike: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘समीपे’ इत्यर्थे

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta, by continuity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: (Contextual) Laghu-kūpikā / small well within the kṣetra (name not given in the excerpt)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages in the Purāṇic frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tiny stone-lined well with only a shallow gleam of water; beside it a tawny cow, ribs slightly visible, head lowered in thirst; the woman notices them, poised between her own need and compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Gau (cow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is tested in scarcity: compassion shown when resources are limited becomes especially meritorious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is the kṣetra celebrated in Adhyāya 62, identified earlier as Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual; the implied dharma is to relieve thirst and protect beings, especially the cow.