Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12
Devanagari script
यथा मृत्युकृते मन्दः शृगालः सिंहवल्लभाम् । वने सुप्तां सुविश्वस्तां सर्वथाप्य कुतोभयाम्
Transliteration
yathā mṛtyukṛte mandaḥ śṛgālaḥ siṃhavallabhām | vane suptāṃ suviśvastāṃ sarvathāpya kutobhayām
Translation
जसा स्वतःच्या मृत्यूसाठी धावणारा मूर्ख कोल्हा, वनात झोपलेल्या, निश्चिंत व सर्वथा निर्भय सिंहप्रियेपाशी जातो—तसा तो पुढे गेला.
Word by Word
yathājust as
yathā:
Sambandha (Simile marker/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyathā (अव्यय)
Formउपमानार्थक-अव्यय (as/just as)
mṛtyu-kṛtein a deathly situation / for death
mṛtyu-kṛte:
Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootmṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृदन्त)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (mṛtyau kṛte = in the matter of death / death-intent)
mandaḥdull, foolish
mandaḥ:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootmanda (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (शृगालः)
śṛgālaḥjackal
śṛgālaḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootśṛgāla (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
siṃha-vallabhāmthe lion's beloved (lioness)
siṃha-vallabhām:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootsiṃha (प्रातिपदिक) + vallabhā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (siṃhasya vallabhā)
vanein the forest
vane:
Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootvana (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन
suptāmsleeping
suptām:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootsvap (धातु) → supta (कृदन्त)
Formभूतकृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (वल्लभाम्)
suviśvastāmfully trusting, unguarded
suviśvastām:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootsu- (उपसर्ग) + viśvasta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘अत्यन्त-विश्वस्त’
sarvathāin every way
sarvathā:
Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsarvathā (अव्यय)
Formप्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (in every way)
apieven
api:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (even/also)
kuto-bhayāmfearless from any quarter
kuto-bhayām:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootkutaḥ (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक) + bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञर्थ-तत्पुरुषसदृश/अव्यय-तत्पुरुष (kutaḥ bhayam yasyāḥ = having no fear from anywhere)
Speaker
Sūta (narrative simile)
Characters & Entities
Ś
Śṛgāla (jackal)S
Siṃha (lion)FAQs
Adharmic pursuit is self-destructive; the arrogant aggressor is likened to a jackal inviting death by provoking a lion.
No; this is a moralizing simile within the larger Vindhya-area tīrtha narrative.
None.