Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ततो दयां समाश्रित्य त्यक्त्वा स्नेहं सुतोद्भवम् । आत्मनश्च तथा प्राणान्गां वितृष्णामथाकरोत्

Transliteration

tato dayāṃ samāśritya tyaktvā snehaṃ sutodbhavam | ātmanaśca tathā prāṇāngāṃ vitṛṣṇāmathākarot

Translation

ତାପରେ ସେ ଦୟାକୁ ଆଶ୍ରୟ କରି, ସନ୍ତାନଜନିତ ସ୍ନେହକୁ ତ୍ୟାଗ କରି, ନିଜ ପ୍ରାଣକୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ଅବହେଳା କରି, ସେଇ ଗାଈର ତୃଷ୍ଣା ନିବାରଣ କଲା।

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereupon
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Connector/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/हेतुतः)

• dayām: compassion
• dayām: Karma (Object of gerund/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• samāśritya: having resorted to
• samāśritya: Kriya (Gerund/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-śri (धातु) + sam- + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त), ‘समाश्रित्य’ = ‘having resorted to’

• tyaktvā: having abandoned
• tyaktvā: Kriya (Gerund/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tyaj (धातु) + क्त्वा
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (क्त्वान्त), ‘having abandoned’

• sneham: affection
• sneham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sneha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• suta-udbhavam: arising from (her) child
• suta-udbhavam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक) + udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सुतात् उद्भवः/सुतसम्बन्धी); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘स्नेहम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• ātmanaḥ: of herself
• ātmanaḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयार्थक-संयोजक)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (तुल्य/अनुरूपार्थक)

• prāṇān: life-breaths / life
• prāṇān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• gām: the cow
• gām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vi-tṛṣṇām: free from thirst
• vi-tṛṣṇām: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + tṛṣṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘गाम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; ‘वितृष्णा’ = ‘free from thirst’

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Connector/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तरार्थक)

• akarot: made (her)
• akarot: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta, by continuity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: (Contextual) The well/kund within the kṣetra (name not given)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages in the Purāṇic frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The woman, parched and exhausted, draws or offers the scant water to the cow first; her face shows resolve and compassion; the cow drinks and revives. The moment is framed as sacred—light subtly falls on the act.

Characters & Entities

• Gau (cow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassion that overcomes self-interest and attachment becomes powerful puṇya, capable of transforming destiny across births.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The act occurs within the sacred kṣetra praised in Adhyāya 62 (Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra), illustrating its dharma-enhancing atmosphere.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No codified ritual; the verse elevates practical dharma—relieving thirst and serving the cow—as spiritually potent.