Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

अथ हत्वा क्षणाच्चौरान्गाः सर्वाः स्वयमाहृताः । स्वाः स्वा निवेदयामास ब्राह्मणानां महात्मनाम्

Transliteration

atha hatvā kṣaṇāccaurāngāḥ sarvāḥ svayamāhṛtāḥ | svāḥ svā nivedayāmāsa brāhmaṇānāṃ mahātmanām

Translation

नंतर क्षणातच त्याने चोरांचा वध केला; आणि सर्व गायी स्वतः परत आणून, त्यांच्या त्यांच्या महात्मा ब्राह्मण स्वाम्यांना अर्पण केल्या.

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (particle)

• hatvā: having killed
• hatvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); धातु: √हन्; अर्थ: having slain

• kṣaṇāt: in a moment
• kṣaṇāt: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषण; क्षणात्=within a moment/instantly

• caurān: thieves
• caurān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• gāḥ: cows
• gāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• sarvāḥ: all
• sarvāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• svayam: himself
• svayam: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• āhṛtāḥ: were brought back
• āhṛtāḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√hṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचन; कर्मणि-भावः: ‘brought back’; (गाः ... आहृताः)

• svāḥ: their own
• svāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (गाः implied)

• svāḥ: each (his) own
• svāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोग (each his own)

• nivedayāmāsa: presented/returned (reported)
• nivedayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√vid (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग: निवेदयति = to present/hand over

• brāhmaṇānām: of the brahmins
• brāhmaṇānām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• mahātmanām: of the great-souled
• mahātmanām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् आत्मा येषां ते)

Speaker

Narrator

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After battle, the hero leads the recovered cows back; brahmins receive them with gratitude; the mood is restorative—cows calm, hands raised in blessing, hero respectful.

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna (implied)
• Thieves
• Cows
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes both stopping adharma and restoring what was wrongfully taken—protection followed by restitution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; the verse demonstrates dharmic action that becomes the moral foundation for later tīrtha-merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the act is ethical and protective—returning property to rightful brāhmaṇa owners.