Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

यो दौःस्थ्यात्सर्वलोकानां करोति पशुरक्षणम् । कुटुम्बभरणार्थाय संतुष्टो येनकेनचित्

Transliteration

yo dauḥsthyātsarvalokānāṃ karoti paśurakṣaṇam | kuṭumbabharaṇārthāya saṃtuṣṭo yenakenacit

Translation

ദാരിദ്ര്യത്താൽ അവൻ എല്ലാവരുടെയും പശുക്കളെ കാത്തുസൂക്ഷിച്ചു. കുടുംബപോഷണത്തിനായി കിട്ടുന്ന അല്പത്തിൽ തന്നെ അവൻ തൃപ്തനായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• दौःस्थ्यात्: from poverty / due to hardship
• दौःस्थ्यात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दौःस्थ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन

• सर्वलोकानाम्: of all people
• सर्वलोकानाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सर्वे लोकाः)

• करोति: does / performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पशुरक्षणम्: the guarding of cattle/animals
• पशुरक्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु-रक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पशूनां रक्षणम्)

• कुटुम्बभरणार्थाय: for the purpose of supporting (his) family
• कुटुम्बभरणार्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुटुम्ब-भरण-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कुटुम्बस्य भरणस्य अर्थः)

• संतुष्टः: content
• संतुष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+तुष् (धातु) → संतुष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• येनकेनचित्: by any means whatsoever
• येनकेनचित्: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: येन केन चित् (सर्वनाम-समूह)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोगः (अनिश्चित-उपायवाचक), ‘कथंचित्/यथाकथंचित्’ अर्थे

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Purāṇic māhātmya narration style; exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkārapura (context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The mute cowherd stands watch over a small herd at the edge of village fields; villagers in the background; his posture is vigilant yet calm, conveying contentment despite worn clothing.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes humble service and honest livelihood; contentment (saṃtoṣa) is praised as a virtue even amid poverty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sets up a tīrtha-māhātmya narrative within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa; the specific site is not named in this single verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None here; it describes the character and livelihood of the cowherd as narrative groundwork.