Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

तस्मान्मुंच महाव्याघ्र मां सद्यः सुतवत्सलाम् । सखीजनस्य तं दत्त्वा समागच्छामि तेंतिकम्

Transliteration

tasmānmuṃca mahāvyāghra māṃ sadyaḥ sutavatsalām | sakhījanasya taṃ dattvā samāgacchāmi teṃtikam

Translation

Maka, wahai harimau agung, lepaskanlah aku segera—aku amat mengasihi anakku. Setelah aku menyerahkan dia kepada sahabat-sahabat perempuanku, aku akan kembali dan datang kepadamu.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (therefore)

• मुंच: release, let go
• मुंच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महाव्याघ्र: O great tiger
• महाव्याघ्र: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाव्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक; महा + व्याघ्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• सुतवत्सलाम्: affectionate to (my) child
• सुतवत्सलाम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुतवत्सल (प्रातिपदिक; सुत + वत्सल)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (माम्)

• सखीजनस्य: of the female friend/companion (group)
• सखीजनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखीजन (प्रातिपदिक; सखी + जन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तम्: him/that (one)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकाले (having given)

• समागच्छामि: I will come/return
• समागच्छामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग ‘सम् + आ’

• ते: to you/your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक

• अन्तिकम्: near (you), vicinity
• अन्तिकम्: Gati/Karma (Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गत्यर्थे कर्मप्रवचनीयवत् (to the vicinity)

Speaker

Dhenu/Nandinī (the cow)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The cow pleads for immediate release to secure her calf with companions, promising to return to the tiger; the tiger’s posture shows surprise at such fearless honesty.

Characters & Entities

• mahāvyāghra
• sakhījana (companions)
• vatsa (calf)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dharmic person seeks to fulfill responsibilities without deceit, even offering to return to peril to keep a truthful promise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of a tīrtha-māhātmya narrative, but it does not name the tīrtha directly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it emphasizes satya (truth) expressed as a vow-like commitment to return.