Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 126

Devanagari script

यत्रास्ति दयितो मह्यमुलूकश्चिरजीवभाक् । स नूनं ज्ञास्यते तं हि मा वृथा मरणं कृथाः

Transliteration

yatrāsti dayito mahyamulūkaścirajīvabhāk | sa nūnaṃ jñāsyate taṃ hi mā vṛthā maraṇaṃ kṛthāḥ

Translation

Di sana ada sahabat kesayanganku, Ulūka, yang berumur panjang. Dia pasti akan mengenalinya dan mengetahui kebenaran. Janganlah engkau memeluk kematian dengan sia-sia.

Word by Word

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-अव्यय (locative adverb): where

• asti: is, exists
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• dayitaḥ: beloved one
• dayitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dayita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• mahyam: to me, for me
• mahyam: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (Dative), एकवचन

• ulūkaḥ: owl (Ulūka)
• ulūkaḥ: Karta (Subject-apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ulūka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; dayitaḥ इति विशेष्यस्य अपपद/व्याख्या

• cira-jīva-bhāk: long-lived
• cira-jīva-bhāk: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक) + jīva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāj (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधार)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपपद-तत्पुरुष: चिरं जीवितं भजते/भागी); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ulūkaḥ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• nūnam: surely
• nūnam: Kriya-viseshana (Certainty/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nūnam (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय-अव्यय (particle/adverb): surely

• jñāsyate: will know
• jñāsyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Future), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• tam: him/that
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• hi: indeed, for
• hi: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle): indeed/for

• mā: do not
• mā: Sambandha (Prohibition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• vṛthā: in vain
• vṛthā: Kriya-viseshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vṛthā (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्या/प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb): in vain, uselessly

• maraṇam: death
• maraṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• kṛthāḥ: do/make (i.e., undertake)
• kṛthāḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; वैदिक/छान्दस-रूप (कुरु इत्यर्थे)

Speaker

Baka

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kailāsa

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reassuring promise: at Kailāsa dwells Ulūka, a beloved long-lived companion who can identify the person and disclose the truth; the speaker gently forbids futile death.

Characters & Entities

• Baka
• Ulūka
• Kailāsa (implied: 'where he lives')
• Indradyumna (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Despair should be met with hope and guidance—seek the counsel of the truly wise rather than choosing futile death.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kailāsa is the implied sacred destination, highlighted as the place where the long-lived Ulūka resides.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the practical instruction is to go to the wise elder for discernment.