Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा भीता सा जनकोद्भवा । उवाच वेपमानांगी प्रस्खलंत्या गिरा ततः

Transliteration

tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā bhītā sā janakodbhavā | uvāca vepamānāṃgī praskhalaṃtyā girā tataḥ

Translation

Als sie seine Worte vernahm, geriet Janakas Tochter in Furcht; am ganzen Leib bebend sprach sie darauf mit stockender, unsicherer Stimme.

Word by Word

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन; 'of him'

• tat-vacanam: that statement
• tat-vacanam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी): tasya vacanam; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) + -tvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/क्त्वा): 'having heard'

• bhītā: frightened
• bhītā: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhīta (प्रातिपदिक; √bhī + क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate/qualifier of sā

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

• janaka-udbhavā: born of Janaka
• janaka-udbhavā: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: janaka (प्रातिपदिक) + udbhavā (ud√bhū + अ/टाप्, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पञ्चमी/षष्ठीभाव): 'janakāt udbhavā' / 'janakasya udbhavā'; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; epithet of Sītā

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• vepamāna-aṅgī: trembling-limbed
• vepamāna-aṅgī: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vepamāna (√vip/√vep + शानच्, कृदन्त) + aṅgī (aṅga + inī, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: 'vepamānā aṅgī yasyāḥ' (trembling-bodied); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; qualifier of sā

• praskhalantyā: with faltering
• praskhalantyā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra√skhal (धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: कृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; agrees with girā: 'with faltering (speech)'

• girā: speech, voice
• girā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gir (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण: 'then/thereupon'

Speaker

Narrator (introducing Sītā’s reply)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sītā, visibly trembling, hands folded or held close, speaks with faltering words; Rāma stands stern; the forest seems to lean in, amplifying her fear.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā (Janakodbhavā)
• Rāma (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Speech and judgment carry weight; the text highlights how harsh words can create fear and suffering, urging dharmic restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the tīrtha context is broader than the single line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse transitions into Sītā’s explanation.