Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

जांबवत्युवाच । रक्षतु त्वां वने वत्स सर्वास्ता वनदेवताः । श्वापदेभ्यः पिशाचेभ्यो दुष्टेभ्यः पुत्र सर्वतः

Transliteration

jāṃbavatyuvāca | rakṣatu tvāṃ vane vatsa sarvāstā vanadevatāḥ | śvāpadebhyaḥ piśācebhyo duṣṭebhyaḥ putra sarvataḥ

Translation

Jāmbavatī sprach: „Mein liebes Kind, mögen alle Gottheiten des Waldes dich in der Wildnis beschützen—vor wilden Tieren, vor Piśācas und vor allen schädlichen Mächten von allen Seiten.“

Word by Word

• जांबवती: Jāmbavatī
• जांबवती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाम्बवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• रक्षतु: may (he/she/it) protect
• रक्षतु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

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

• वत्स: O dear child
• वत्स: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• ताः: those (they)
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन

• वनदेवताः: forest deities
• वनदेवताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक) + देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: वनस्य देवताः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन

• श्वापदेभ्यः: from wild beasts
• श्वापदेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वापद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), बहुवचन

• पिशाचेभ्यः: from piśācas (ghouls)
• पिशाचेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), बहुवचन

• दुष्टेभ्यः: from the wicked
• दुष्टेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying beings implied)

• पुत्र: O son
• पुत्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• सर्वतः: on all sides, entirely
• सर्वतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Jāmbavatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Jāmbavatī raises her hand in blessing, praying that all forest deities protect her son from beasts and piśācas as he travels through the wilderness.

Characters & Entities

• Jāmbavatī
• vanadevatāḥ
• piśāca
• śvāpadāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A mother’s blessing becomes protective merit; travel in dharma is ideally accompanied by prayer and divine guardianship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse focuses on protection during the journey.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A protective benediction (rakṣā-prārthanā) is expressed, though no formal ritual steps are detailed.