Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

जमदग्निरुवाच । होमधेनुरियं राजन्ममैका प्राणसंमता । अदेया सर्वदा पूज्या तस्मान्नार्हसि याचितुम्

Transliteration

jamadagniruvāca | homadhenuriyaṃ rājanmamaikā prāṇasaṃmatā | adeyā sarvadā pūjyā tasmānnārhasi yācitum

Translation

Jamadagni sprach: „O König, dies ist meine Homadhenu, die Opferkuh, mein einziger Schatz, mir lieb wie das Leben selbst. Sie darf niemals weggegeben werden; stets ist sie zu verehren. Darum ziemt es dir nicht, sie zu erbitten.“

Word by Word

• जमदग्निः: Jamadagni
• जमदग्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जमदग्नि (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 (3rd person), एकवचन

• होमधेनुः: the sacrificial cow (Homa-cow)
• होमधेनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम + धेनु (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

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

• एका: one, only
• एका: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्राणसंमता: dear as life; life-approved
• प्राणसंमता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राण + संमत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संमत = √मन् (धातु) क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle)

• अदेया: not to be given away
• अदेया: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicative adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + देय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; देय = √दा (धातु) यत्/णीय-भाव (gerundive), नकारार्थक-उपसर्ग ‘अ-’

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• पूज्या: to be worshipped
• पूज्या: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicative adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; √पूज् (धातु) यत्/णीय-भाव (gerundive)

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

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• अर्हसि: you ought/are fit
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• याचितुम्: to ask/beg
• याचितुम्: Kriya-artha (Purpose/क्रियार्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: याच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्यय (infinitive), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable infinitive)

Speaker

Jamadagni

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (unnamed in the verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a forest āśrama near a sacrificial enclosure, sage Jamadagni stands calm yet firm, one hand raised in gentle prohibition, the radiant homadhenu beside him; a king stands respectfully but insistently, attendants behind.

Characters & Entities

• Jamadagni
• homa-dhenu (sacrificial cow)
• rājan (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

What is consecrated for worship is not a commodity; dharma protects sacred instruments and sets firm ethical limits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The excerpt is part of a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter, but this verse itself does not specify the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It affirms the inviolability and continual reverence (pūjā) due to a homa-dhenu used for sacrificial rites.