Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । यदि यच्छसि नो विप्र साम्ना धेनुमिमां मम । बलादपि हरिष्यामि तस्मात्साम्ना प्रदीयताम्

Transliteration

rājovāca | yadi yacchasi no vipra sāmnā dhenumimāṃ mama | balādapi hariṣyāmi tasmātsāmnā pradīyatām

Translation

രാജാവ് പറഞ്ഞു: ഹേ ബ്രാഹ്മണാ! നീ സമാധാനപൂർവ്വം ഈ പശുവിനെ എനിക്ക് നൽകുന്നില്ലെങ്കിൽ, ഞാൻ ബലമായി അതിനെ അപഹരിക്കും; അതിനാൽ സമാധാനത്തോടെ നൽകുക.

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-अव्यय; शर्तसूचक (conditional particle)

• यच्छसि: you give
• यच्छसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• नः: to us / our
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचनार्थे (plural sense) / एन्क्लिटिक; ‘our/to us’ प्रयोग

• विप्र: O brahmin
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• साम्ना: by conciliation / with gentle words
• साम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• धेनुम्: the cow
• धेनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• बलात्: by force
• बलात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); हेत्वर्थे (in sense of cause/means)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); ‘even/also’

• हरिष्यामि: I will take away
• हरिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभूत-प्रयोग; हेत्वर्थक (therefore/from that reason)

• साम्ना: by conciliation
• साम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रदीयताम्: let it be given
• प्रदीयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): ‘let it be given’

Speaker

Rājā (the king)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: assembly/brāhmaṇa Jamadagni

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king in assembly issues a stern ultimatum to a brāhmaṇa: surrender the cow peacefully or it will be taken by force; attendants hover, tension rising.

Characters & Entities

• rājā
• vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• dhenu (cow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When power overrides reverence, coercion replaces dharma—setting the stage for karmic and social ruin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it is part of the tīrtha-section’s moral history illustrating dharma and its violation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative escalation from negotiation (sāma) to threatened force (bala).