Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

व्याघ्र उवाच । प्रलापान्किं मुधा धेनो करोषि वशगा मम । तस्मादिष्टतमं देवं स्मर स्वर्गकृते शुभे

Transliteration

vyāghra uvāca | pralāpānkiṃ mudhā dheno karoṣi vaśagā mama | tasmādiṣṭatamaṃ devaṃ smara svargakṛte śubhe

Translation

Der Tiger sprach: „Warum redest du törichtes Geschwätz, o Kuh, da du doch in meiner Gewalt bist? Darum, o Glückverheißende, gedenke deiner liebsten Gottheit — um des Himmels willen.“

Word by Word

• व्याघ्रः: the tiger
• व्याघ्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रलापान्: lamentations, prattle
• प्रलापान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• मुधा: in vain, uselessly
• मुधा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• धेनो: O cow
• धेनो: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• करोषि: you do/make
• करोषि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वशगा: submissive, under control
• वशगा: Karta (Subject-complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वशग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• मम: of me, my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana/Hetu (Ablative/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (from that/therefore)

• इष्टतमम्: most beloved
• इष्टतमम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष्टतम (प्रातिपदिक; इष्ट + तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अतिशय (superlative)

• देवम्: god, deity
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• स्मर: remember
• स्मर: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्वर्गकृते: for (attaining) heaven
• स्वर्गकृते: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वर्गकृत (प्रातिपदिक; स्वर्ग + कृते)
• Form: कृते-शब्दः (हेतोः/for the sake of) सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; अर्थे ‘स्वर्गस्य कृते’

• शुभे: O auspicious one
• शुभे: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; विशेष्य-सम्बोधन

Speaker

Vyāghra (tiger)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tiger confronts a trembling cow in a forest-edge near a sacred tract; the tiger speaks with dominance, urging her to remember her beloved deity for heaven.

Characters & Entities

• vyāghra
• dhenu (cow)
• deva (beloved deity)
• svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even an adversary acknowledges the Purāṇic ideal: remembrance of one’s deity at the moment of death shapes spiritual destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicitly named in this shloka; it remains within a Tīrthamāhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; the instruction is smaraṇa—remembering the iṣṭa-devatā, especially in extremity.