Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

एतस्मात्कारणाद्व्याघ्र विलपामि सुदुःखिता । न चात्मजीवनार्थाय सत्येनात्मानमालभे

Transliteration

etasmātkāraṇādvyāghra vilapāmi suduḥkhitā | na cātmajīvanārthāya satyenātmānamālabhe

Translation

ഈ കാരണത്താൽ, ഹേ വ്യാഘ്രാ, ഞാൻ അത്യന്തം ദുഃഖിതയായി വിലപിക്കുന്നു. എന്റെ ജീവൻ രക്ഷിക്കാനായി സത്യം ലംഘിച്ച് ഞാൻ എന്നെത്തന്നെ കപടമായി സമർപ്പിക്കുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• एतस्मात्: from this; therefore
• एतस्मात्: Apadana/Hetu (Ablative/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• कारणात्: because of the reason
• कारणात्: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• व्याघ्र: O tiger
• व्याघ्र: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विलपामि: I lament
• विलपामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विलप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुदुःखिता: very distressed
• सुदुःखिता: Karta (Subject-complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदुःखित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (अहम्)

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Conjunction
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आत्मजीवनार्थाय: for (my) own living/survival
• आत्मजीवनार्थाय: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मजीवनार्थ (प्रातिपदिक; आत्मन् + जीवन + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the purpose of)

• सत्येन: by truth; truly
• सत्येन: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; साधन/हेतु-भावे

• आत्मानम्: myself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आलभे: I would take up / resort to
• आलभे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; अर्थे ‘स्पृशे/उपयुजे’ (I take/undertake)

Speaker

Dhenu/Nandinī (the cow)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The cow, sorrowful yet unwavering, declares she will not violate truth for her own life; the tiger’s predatory certainty meets a wall of dharmic resolve.

Characters & Entities

• satya (truth)
• vyāghra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Satya is upheld as non-negotiable—even when personal survival is at stake—showing the Purāṇic ideal of integrity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is embedded in a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter, but no site is named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on satya (truthfulness) as dharma.