Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अथापश्यत्स्तोकजलां सा तत्र लघुकूपिकाम् । तृषार्तां कपिलां गां वर्तमानां तदां तिके

Transliteration

athāpaśyatstokajalāṃ sā tatra laghukūpikām | tṛṣārtāṃ kapilāṃ gāṃ vartamānāṃ tadāṃ tike

Translation

Alors elle aperçut là un petit puits où il ne restait qu’un filet d’eau ; et tout près se tenait une vache kapilā, au pelage fauve, tourmentée par la soif.

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Connector/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तरार्थक)

• apaśyat: saw
• apaśyat: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• stoka-jalām: having little water
• stoka-jalām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: stoka (प्रातिपदिक) + jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (स्तोकं जलं यस्याः/यत्र); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया-कर्म), एकवचन; ‘कूपिका’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• laghu-kūpikām: a small well
• laghu-kūpikām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: laghu (प्रातिपदिक) + kūpikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (लघुः कूपिका); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tṛṣā-ārtām: distressed by thirst
• tṛṣā-ārtām: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tṛṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + ārta (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तृषया आर्ता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘गाम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• kapilām: brown/tawny
• kapilām: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kapila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; वर्णविशेषणम्

• gām: a cow
• gām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vartamānām: standing (there)
• vartamānām: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛt (धातु) + māna (शतृ/शानच्)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (शानच्), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘गाम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; अर्थः ‘standing/being present’

• tadā: at that time
• tadā: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक)

• antike: nearby
• antike: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘समीपे’ इत्यर्थे

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta, by continuity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: (Contextual) Laghu-kūpikā / small well within the kṣetra (name not given in the excerpt)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages in the Purāṇic frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tiny stone-lined well with only a shallow gleam of water; beside it a tawny cow, ribs slightly visible, head lowered in thirst; the woman notices them, poised between her own need and compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Gau (cow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is tested in scarcity: compassion shown when resources are limited becomes especially meritorious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is the kṣetra celebrated in Adhyāya 62, identified earlier as Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual; the implied dharma is to relieve thirst and protect beings, especially the cow.