Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

कदाचिद्रक्षतस्तस्य पशूंस्तान्वनभूमिषु । पशुरेको विनिष्क्रांतः स्वयूथात्तृणलोभतः

Transliteration

kadācidrakṣatastasya paśūṃstānvanabhūmiṣu | paśureko viniṣkrāṃtaḥ svayūthāttṛṇalobhataḥ

Translation

ഒരു വേള അവൻ വനഭൂമികളിൽ ആ പശുക്കളെ കാത്തുകൊണ്ടിരുന്നു. അപ്പോൾ പുല്ലിന്റെ ലാഭത്തിൽ ഒരു മൃഗം തന്റെ കൂട്ടത്തിൽ നിന്ന് മാറിപ്പോയി.

Word by Word

• कदाचित्: once / at some time
• कदाचित्: Kriya-Visheshana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• रक्षतः: of him (while) guarding
• रक्षतः: Karta (Agent in participial clause/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु) → रक्षत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘तस्य’ इत्यनेन सह—‘while he was guarding’ अर्थे

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• पशून्: animals/cattle
• पशून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• तान्: those
• तान्: Visheshana (Determiner/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणवत् (निर्देशक)

• वनभूमिषु: in forest-grounds
• वनभूमिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन-भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वनस्य भूमिः)

• पशुः: an animal
• पशुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एकः: one
• एकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषणम्

• विनिष्क्रांतः: went out / strayed out
• विनिष्क्रांतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+निस्+क्रम् (धातु) → विनिष्क्रान्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः—‘went out’

• स्वयूथात्: from its own herd
• स्वयूथात्: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-यूथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (स्वं यूथम्)

• तृणलोभतः: out of greed for grass
• तृणलोभतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण-लोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (हेतु/कारण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तृणस्य लोभः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced; not explicit in snippet)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cow (or beast) breaks away from the herd into dense forest, drawn toward a patch of lush grass; the cowherd is in the distance with the remaining herd; shafts of light suggest destiny guiding the animal toward a hidden sacred spot.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Small lapses driven by desire can lead to larger trouble; vigilance is part of one’s dharma in entrusted duties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse continues the introductory episode; the tīrtha itself is not specified in the verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the cause of the missing animal.