Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

स मया प्रार्थितः पुत्र भक्षमाणो नखायुधः । शपथैरागमिष्यामि गोकुले वीक्ष्य चात्मजम्

Transliteration

sa mayā prārthitaḥ putra bhakṣamāṇo nakhāyudhaḥ | śapathairāgamiṣyāmi gokule vīkṣya cātmajam

Translation

ହେ ପୁତ୍ର, ନଖାୟୁଧଧାରୀ ସେ ମୋତେ ଭକ୍ଷଣ କରିବାକୁ ଉଦ୍ୟତ ଥିଲା। ମୁଁ ତାକୁ ପ୍ରାର୍ଥନା କରି ଶପଥରେ ବଦ୍ଧ ହୋଇ କହିଲି—‘ଗୋକୁଳକୁ ଯାଇ ମୋ ଶିଶୁକୁ ଦେଖି ପୁନଃ ଫେରିଆସିବି।’

Word by Word

• सः: he (that one)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• प्रार्थितः: was requested/begged
• प्रार्थितः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अर्थ् (धातु) → प्रार्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पुत्र: O son
• पुत्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• भक्षमाणः: devouring
• भक्षमाणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु) → भक्षमाण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; शतृ/शानच्)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present participle, आत्मनेपद-भाव), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नखायुधः: one whose weapons are claws
• नखायुधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नख + आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (नखाः आयुधानि यस्य सः)

• शपथैः: with oaths
• शपथैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शपथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• आगमिष्यामि: I shall come
• आगमिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• गोकुले: in the cowherd-settlement (Gokula)
• गोकुले: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• वीक्ष्य: having seen
• वीक्ष्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वीक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• आत्मजम्: (my) son
• आत्मजम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (आत्मनः जः = own-born/son)

Speaker

Nandinī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gokula (referenced)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: putra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tiger poised to devour; Nandinī, hands raised in supplication, speaks an oath: she will go to Gokula, see her child, and return—her face resolute, the tiger momentarily arrested by her plea.

Characters & Entities

• Nandinī
• Vyāghra (tiger)
• Gokula
• son (ātmaja)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Keeping one’s pledged word (śapatha) is portrayed as a high dharma, even when life is at stake.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gokula is explicitly mentioned as the place she must go to see her child; the chapter overall remains within a Tīrthamāhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual is prescribed; the verse highlights śapatha (solemn vow/oath) as a binding dharmic act.