Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

अस्ति मे नन्दिनीनाम कामधेनुः सुशोभना । वांछितं यच्छते सर्वं तपसा पार्थिवोत्तम

Transliteration

asti me nandinīnāma kāmadhenuḥ suśobhanā | vāṃchitaṃ yacchate sarvaṃ tapasā pārthivottama

Translation

J’ai une splendide vache Kāmadhenū nommée Nandinī. Par la puissance de l’austérité, elle accorde tout ce qui est désiré, ô meilleur des rois.

Word by Word

• अस्ति: there is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नन्दिनी: Nandinī
• नन्दिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom./1st), एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नाम-प्रयोगे अव्यय (indeclinable used to denote ‘named’)

• कामधेनुः: the wish-fulfilling cow
• कामधेनुः: Samanaadhikarana (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम + धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom./1st), एकवचन; विशेष्य-समास (wish-fulfilling cow)

• सुशोभना: very beautiful
• सुशोभना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom./1st), एकवचन; विशेषण to कामधेनुः/नन्दिनी

• वाञ्छितम्: the desired (thing)
• वाञ्छितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाञ्छित (प्रातिपदिक; वाञ्छ् धातु → क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Acc./2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (desired thing)

• यच्छते: grants
• यच्छते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Acc./2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण to वाञ्छितम् (or as object ‘everything’)

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• पार्थिवोत्तम: O best of kings
• पार्थिवोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the king (addressed as ‘pārthivottama’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage reveals a radiant, beautifully adorned cow—Nandinī—standing near the hermitage, emanating prosperity; the king beholds her with astonishment.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Nandinī
• Kāmadhenu
• Viśvāmitra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas, when grounded in dharma, becomes a source of beneficent power used for righteous hospitality and welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse centers on the miraculous agency of Nandinī rather than explicitly praising a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is prescribed; the implied dharma is honoring guests through generous provision.