Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

तेजसा भास्करं चैव नीलनामेति विश्रुतम् । इतस्ततोऽभिधावंतं गवां संघातमध्यगम्

Transliteration

tejasā bhāskaraṃ caiva nīlanāmeti viśrutam | itastato'bhidhāvaṃtaṃ gavāṃ saṃghātamadhyagam

Translation

Rayonnant tel le soleil, célèbre sous le nom de Nīla, on le vit courir çà et là au milieu d’une foule compacte de vaches.

Word by Word

• तेजसा: by (his) radiance
• तेजसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• भास्करम्: the sun
• भास्करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphasis)

• नीलनाम: (one) named Nīla
• नीलनाम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नील + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/विशेषणपूर्वपद: 'नीलं नाम यस्य'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यादि-बोधक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• विश्रुतम्: well-known, renowned
• विश्रुतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि+श्रु (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying)

• इतस्: from here
• इतस्: Adhikarana (Directional/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: दिशावाचक-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'from here/this side')

• ततः: from there
• ततः: Adhikarana (Directional/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: दिशावाचक-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'from there/that side')

• अभिधावन्तम्: running about
• अभिधावन्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि+धाव् (धातु) + शतृ (प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• गवाम्: of cows
• गवाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• संघातमध्यगम्: gone into the middle of the herd
• संघातमध्यगम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संघात + मध्य + ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष: 'संघाते मध्ये गः/गतः'); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

Speaker

Gālava (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Goloka

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brilliant, sun-like bovine figure named Nīla darts playfully/energetically amid a tightly packed herd of cows; dust or light motes shimmer; sages watch in astonishment.

Characters & Entities

• Nīla
• Gavām (cows)
• Goloka (implied setting)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The holiness of the divine realm is expressed through radiance and the centrality of cows—symbols of dharma, abundance, and sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Goloka is the implied sacred realm, characterized by divine splendor and innumerable cows.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the imagery supports dharmic reverence for cows (go-sevā/go-rakṣā) as a broader purāṇic value.