Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

नैषा शक्या बलान्नेतुं कामधेनुर्महोदया । शक्तिरूपा करोत्येवं या सृष्टिं स्वयमेव हि

Transliteration

naiṣā śakyā balānnetuṃ kāmadhenurmahodayā | śaktirūpā karotyevaṃ yā sṛṣṭiṃ svayameva hi

Translation

Esta Kāmadhenu, maravilla grandiosa, no puede ser arrebatada por la fuerza. Pues ella es la misma Śakti, y así, por su propia voluntad, hace surgir la creación.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

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

• śakyā: possible
• śakyā: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √śak शक्)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्ययार्थ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; साध्यत्ववाचक (possible)

• balāt: by force
• balāt: Hetu/Apadana (Source/means: by force/हेतु-अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन

• netum: to take away
• netum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nī (नी धातु) + tumun (तुमुन्)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), कर्तरि; नेतुम् = to lead/take away

• kāmadhenūḥ: Kāmadhenū (wish-fulfilling cow)
• kāmadhenūḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + dhenu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कामान् ददाति इति/कामस्य धेनुः)

• mahodayā: of great power/prosperity
• mahodayā: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + udaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् उदयः यस्याः/महान् उदयः)

• śakti-rūpā: in the form of power
• śakti-rūpā: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (शक्तेः रूपम् इव/शक्तिरूपा)

• karoti: does, creates
• karoti: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus)

• yā: who, which
• yā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• sṛṣṭim: creation
• sṛṣṭim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• svayam: by herself
• svayam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्वयम् (reflexive adverb: by oneself)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (indeed)

• hi: for, indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक (for/indeed)

Speaker

Ministers (Mantrin) speaking to the king (Haihaya ruler, implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāmadhenu stands radiant, unmovable, surrounded by a subtle aura; from her presence, symbolic forms of creation—plants, rivers, beings—seem to emanate, while would-be captors strain in vain.

Characters & Entities

• Kāmadhenu
• Śakti (as principle, implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred power is not a commodity; divine grace cannot be seized by violence—only approached through dharma and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it supports the chapter’s broader tīrtha-māhātmya teaching on sanctity and divine presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the implied discipline is humility and non-violence toward sacred beings.