Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

उलूक उवाच । मयि जीवति मित्रे मे भवान्मरणमेति च । अद्यप्रभृति कस्तर्हि हृदा मम लभिष्यति

Transliteration

ulūka uvāca | mayi jīvati mitre me bhavānmaraṇameti ca | adyaprabhṛti kastarhi hṛdā mama labhiṣyati

Translation

उलूक म्हणाला—मी, तुझा मित्र, जिवंत असताना तू मृत्युला सामोरा जाणार आहेस! आजपासून मग माझ्या हृदयाला खरा सोबती कोण मिळेल?

Word by Word

• उलूकः: the owl (Ulūka)
• उलूकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उलूक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• मयि: in me / while I
• मयि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• जीवति: is living
• जीवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मित्रे: (as) a friend / in friendship
• मित्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• मे: my / to me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (enclitic)

• भवान्: you (honorific)
• भवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम-शब्द)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग

• मरणम्: death
• मरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• एति: goes to / meets
• एति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• प्रभृति: from (now) onward
• प्रभृति: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भ-पर्यन्तार्थक (from/since)

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तर्हि: then
• तर्हि: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तर्हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तर/तदानीं-अर्थे (then)

• हृदा: with (his) heart
• हृदा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

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

• लभिष्यति: will obtain / will win
• लभिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Ulūka

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sorrowful bird-friend (Ulūka) laments to a companion about impending death; the setting is a forest hermitage edge, with the king’s fate implied in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Ulūka
• Indradyumna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human (and creaturely) bonds are sacred; dharma is lived through loyalty, care, and the refusal to abandon a friend.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the verse is an emotional appeal grounded in friendship-dharma.