Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

व्याघ्र उवाच । कथं मृत्युमुखं प्राप्य निष्क्रम्य च कथञ्चन । भूयस्तत्रैव निर्यासि तस्मात्त्वां भक्षयाम्यहम्

Transliteration

vyāghra uvāca | kathaṃ mṛtyumukhaṃ prāpya niṣkramya ca kathañcana | bhūyastatraiva niryāsi tasmāttvāṃ bhakṣayāmyaham

Translation

Le tigre dit : «Parvenue à la gueule même de la mort, comment pourrais-tu t’en échapper d’une manière ou d’une autre, puis y retourner encore ? C’est pourquoi je te dévorerai.»

Word by Word

• व्याघ्रः: the tiger
• व्याघ्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• मृत्युमुखम्: the mouth of death (death’s jaws)
• मृत्युमुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मृत्योः मुखम्)

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having reached’

• निष्क्रम्य: having escaped
• निष्क्रम्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निस्-क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having gone out/escaped’

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

• कथञ्चन: somehow
• कथञ्चन: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथञ्चन (अव्यय)
• Form: अनिश्चित/कथमपि-अर्थक अव्यय (indefinite adverb)

• भूयः: again
• भूयः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुनरर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: again/further)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• निर्यासि: you go out/you depart
• निर्यासि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-रूपेण हेत्वर्थक/तस्मादिति अव्ययीभाव (ablatival adverb: therefore)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• भक्षयामि: I eat/devour
• भक्षयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Vyāghra (tiger)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nandinī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tiger confronts a lone woman (Nandinī) in a forested tīrtha landscape, blocking her path and declaring he will devour her; tension between brute force and moral resolve.

Characters & Entities

• vyāghra
• mṛtyu (death)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse intensifies the dharma-test: worldly power doubts virtue, setting the stage for truth to prove itself through action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it remains within the broader Tīrthamāhātmya chapter context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is part of the narrative dialogue.