Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

युष्माकं दर्शनार्थाय सुतसंभाषणाय च । संप्राप्ता शपथैः कृच्छ्रात्तं विश्वास्य नखायुधम्

Transliteration

yuṣmākaṃ darśanārthāya sutasaṃbhāṣaṇāya ca | saṃprāptā śapathaiḥ kṛcchrāttaṃ viśvāsya nakhāyudham

Translation

«Je suis venue —non sans grande peine— seulement pour vous voir et pour parler à mon fils. Après avoir lié l’ennemi par de solennels serments et gagné sa confiance, je me suis approchée de celui dont l’arme est la griffe.»

Word by Word

• युष्माकम्: of you (all)
• युष्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• दर्शनार्थाय: for (your) seeing
• दर्शनार्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; चतुर्थी-प्रयोजन (purpose)

• सुतसंभाषणाय: for conversing with (my) son
• सुतसंभाषणाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक) + संभाषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सुतस्य संभाषणम्)

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

• संप्राप्ता: have arrived
• संप्राप्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु) → संप्राप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि (I have come)

• शपथैः: with oaths
• शपथैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शपथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन

• कृच्छ्रात्: with difficulty, from hardship
• कृच्छ्रात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः (from hardship/with difficulty)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विश्वास्य: having won (his) trust
• विश्वास्य: Kriya-viseshana (Converb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√श्वस् (धातु) → विश्वास्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), 'having made (him) trust/after gaining confidence'

• नखायुधम्: the claw-weaponed one (tiger)
• नखायुधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नख (प्रातिपदिक) + आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (नखाः एव आयुधानि यस्य/नखरूपम् आयुधम्) — here as epithet of vyāghra

Speaker

Nandinī (cow/mother figure), addressing the other cows (dhenavaḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A motherly figure addresses a fierce claw-weaponed predator; her hands in a pleading yet steady gesture; the beast’s posture softens as trust is established through solemn oaths.

Characters & Entities

• Nandinī
• dhenavaḥ (cows)
• suta (son)
• nakhāyudha (claw-weaponed predator)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid danger, one should act with purpose—seeking right counsel and fulfilling responsibility—without deceit for selfish gain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sits within the Tīrthamāhātmya frame of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa; the immediate line focuses on the ethical narrative supporting the Mahātmya rather than naming a distinct tīrtha in this snippet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed in this verse; it emphasizes conduct and intention.