Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

व्याघ्र उवाच । ब्रूहि ताञ्छपथान्भद्रे समागच्छसि यैः पुनः । ततोऽहं प्रत्ययं गत्वा मोचयिष्यामि वा न वा

Transliteration

vyāghra uvāca | brūhi tāñchapathānbhadre samāgacchasi yaiḥ punaḥ | tato'haṃ pratyayaṃ gatvā mocayiṣyāmi vā na vā

Translation

Der Tiger sprach: „Sage mir, o Sanftmütige, welche Eide dich wiederkehren lassen. Dann, nachdem ich Gewissheit erlangt habe, werde ich entscheiden, ob ich dich freilasse oder nicht.“

Word by Word

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

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

• ब्रूहि: tell
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (शपथान् इति)

• शपथान्: oaths
• शपथान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शपथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• भद्रे: O good one / dear
• भद्रे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; संबोधन (प्रियसम्बोधन)

• समागच्छसि: you come back
• समागच्छसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ√गम् (गम् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यैः: by which
• यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय (adverb)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/क्रमसूचक अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'then/from that')

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रत्ययम्: assurance, verification
• प्रत्ययम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रत्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having gone)

• मोचयिष्यामि: I will release
• मोचयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मुच् (धातु) (णिच् causative: मोचय)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच् (causative)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पसूचक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध अव्यय (negation particle)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पसूचक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

Speaker

Vyāghra (Tiger)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The tiger leans forward, demanding the exact oaths; Kapilā stands steady, ready to enumerate them. The composition emphasizes dialogue—two figures facing, with a visual ‘space’ of decision between them.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāghra
• Kapilā (cow)
• śapatha (oath)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is examined through accountability: vows must be articulated and accepted as binding, creating moral certainty (pratyaya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named in this verse; it functions as part of the Arbuda narrative in Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse requests the declaration of oaths; it is an ethical mechanism rather than a ritual injunction.