Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

जलाभावे तथा सा च समस्तैर्बालकैः सह । वैवस्वतगृहं प्राप्ता गोभक्तिधृतमानसा

Transliteration

jalābhāve tathā sā ca samastairbālakaiḥ saha | vaivasvatagṛhaṃ prāptā gobhaktidhṛtamānasā

Translation

Als kein Wasser mehr da war, gelangte sie zusammen mit all ihren Kindern zur Wohnstatt des Vaivasvata (Yama), den Geist getragen von Hingabe zur Kuh.

Word by Word

• जलाभावे: in the absence of water
• जलाभावे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल-अभाव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; जलस्य अभावः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; Locative absolute sense: "in the absence of water"

• तथा: thus/then
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse connective/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• समस्तैः: with all (the)
• समस्तैः: Sahakaraka (Instrumental of association/सहकारक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying)

• बालकैः: boys/children
• बालकैः: Sahakaraka (Instrumental of association/सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बालक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (Association marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (postposition-like indeclinable meaning "with")

• वैवस्वतगृहं: the house of Vaivasvata (Yama)
• वैवस्वतगृहं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैवस्वत-गृह (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; वैवस्वतस्य गृहं इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• प्राप्ता: reached/arrived
• प्राप्ता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past passive participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे "having reached"

• गोभक्तिधृतमानसा: whose mind was sustained by devotion to cows
• गोभक्तिधृतमानसा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गो-भक्ति-धृत-मानस (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—"यस्या मानसं गोभक्त्या धृतम्"; qualifies सा

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta, by continuity)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A parched landscape with a mother and several children, exhausted from thirst, approaching the dark-gated abode of Yama; despite fear, her face shows calm devotion, with a symbolic cow (or cow’s halo) indicating go-bhakti sustaining her mind.

Characters & Entities

• Vaivasvata (Yama)
• Gau (cow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even at death, the inner state shaped by dharma—here, go-bhakti and compassion—becomes the spiritual capital that follows the soul.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to Adhyāya 62’s tīrtha context (Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra), demonstrating how actions performed in/around a kṣetra bear profound fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the emphasis is on ethical dharma (compassion/service) rather than a formal rite.