Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

कपिलोवाच । स्वजीवितभयाद्व्याघ्र न रोदिमि कथंचन । पुत्रो मे बालको गोष्ठ्यां क्षीरपायी प्रतीक्षते

Transliteration

kapilovāca | svajīvitabhayādvyāghra na rodimi kathaṃcana | putro me bālako goṣṭhyāṃ kṣīrapāyī pratīkṣate

Translation

കപില പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ വ്യാഘ്രാ, എന്റെ ജീവഭയത്താൽ ഞാൻ ഒരിക്കലും കരയുന്നില്ല. ഗോശാലയിൽ പാൽ കുടിക്കുന്ന എന്റെ ചെറുകിടാവ് എന്നെ കാത്തിരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• कपिलः: Kapila
• कपिलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिल (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

• स्व: one's own
• स्व: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण (as prior member), सम्बन्धवाचक (reflexive/own)

• जीवित: life
• जीवित: Visheshya (Head within compound/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण (as prior member)

• भयात्: from fear
• भयात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्याघ्र: O tiger
• व्याघ्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• रोदिमि: I cry
• रोदिमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• कथंचन: in any way; at all
• कथंचन: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), प्रकारवाचक (manner)

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• मे: my
• मे: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• बालकः: a child
• बालकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बालक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), पुत्रस्य विशेषणभावे (appositional)

• गोष्ठ्याम्: in the cowshed/cow-pen
• गोष्ठ्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोष्ठी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्षीरपायी: milk-drinking; suckling
• क्षीरपायी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षीर + पायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/उपपद-भावः: क्षीरं पिबति), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बालकस्य विशेषणम्

• प्रतीक्षते: waits
• प्रतीक्षते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Kapilā (the cow)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kapilā speaks calmly to the tiger, her posture steady despite danger; behind her, a faint imagined image of the waiting calf in the cowshed underscores her motive.

Characters & Entities

• Kapilā
• Vyāghra (tiger)
• calf

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is shown as responsibility toward dependents; courage is acting for duty rather than clinging to self-preservation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda narrative setting continues; the verse emphasizes ethical duty, not a named pilgrimage spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly.