Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

कामधेनुरियं ब्रह्मन्नार्हारण्यनिवासिनाम् । मुनीनां शान्तचित्तानां तस्माद्यच्छ मम स्वयम्

Transliteration

kāmadhenuriyaṃ brahmannārhāraṇyanivāsinām | munīnāṃ śāntacittānāṃ tasmādyaccha mama svayam

Translation

«Ô brāhmane, voici Kāmadhenu, vraiment digne des munis au cœur paisible qui demeurent en forêt. Aussi, donne-la-moi toi-même.»

Word by Word

• कामधेनुः: Kāmadhenū (wish-cow)
• कामधेनुः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम + धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कामानां धेनुः = wish-fulfilling cow)

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति; एकवचन (vocative)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• अर्हा: fit, proper
• अर्हा: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्ह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with कामधेनुः/इयम्)

• अरण्यनिवासिनाम्: of the forest-dwellers
• अरण्यनिवासिनाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation: “of”)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य + निवासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (अरण्ये निवासिनः = forest-dwellers)

• मुनीनाम्: of sages
• मुनीनाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• शान्तचित्तानाम्: of calm-minded (sages)
• शान्तचित्तानाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of मुनीनाम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्त + चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (शान्तं चित्तं येषाम्—बहुव्रीह्यर्थे प्रयोगः; here as adjective “calm-minded”)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (अव्यय/तद्-प्रभव)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक (indeclinable: “therefore/for that reason”)

• यच्छ: give
• यच्छ: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (imperative: “give”)

• मम: to me
• मम: Sampradāna (Recipient; genitive used for dative sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन (genitive: “to me/of me”)

• स्वयम्: yourself
• स्वयम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Emphatic modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मनः/स्वकृत्यवाचक (indeclinable: “yourself, personally”)

Speaker

Bhūpati (the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king points toward the divine cow, calling her Kāmadhenu, acknowledging her suitability for sages—yet demands she be handed over; Jamadagni remains composed, the cow calm but radiant.

Characters & Entities

• Kāmadhenu
• muni (sages)
• brāhmaṇa (addressed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred resources meant for ascetics should not be seized for worldly power; entitlement distorts dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within a tīrtha-glorification chapter, but this line focuses on the ethical request rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a demand/request that frames a dharmic boundary.