Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

व्याघ्रस्य कामरूपस्य दातव्यं जीवितं मया । तेनाहं शपथैर्मुक्ता कारणात्तव पुत्रक

Transliteration

vyāghrasya kāmarūpasya dātavyaṃ jīvitaṃ mayā | tenāhaṃ śapathairmuktā kāraṇāttava putraka

Translation

कामरूपाय व्याघ्राय मया जीवितं दातव्यम्। तेन कारणेन पुत्रक, शपथैर्मुक्ता भवाम्यहम्॥

Word by Word

• vyāghrasya: of the tiger
• vyāghrasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyāghra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• kāmarūpasya: of the shape-shifting one
• kāmarūpasya: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāmarūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; विशेषण (vyāghrasya)

• dātavyam: to be given/must be given
• dātavyam: Kriyā (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘दातव्यम्’ = must be given

• jīvitam: life
• jīvitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st) / द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; अत्र कर्मरूपेण (that which is to be given)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tena: therefore/by that
• tena: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• śapathaiḥ: by oaths
• śapathaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śapatha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• muktā: released/freed
• muktā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √muc (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• kāraṇāt: because of the reason
• kāraṇāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• putraka: O dear son
• putraka: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Mother (unnamed)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vatsa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kapilā reveals the stark obligation: she must give her life to a shape-shifting tiger; the atmosphere tightens, with the forest looming as a moral arena.

Characters & Entities

• Vatsa
• Mother
• Vyāghra (shape-shifting tiger)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truthfulness and vow-keeping are treated as binding dharma, even at the cost of one’s own life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Arbudakhaṇḍa (Arbuda/Mount Abu sacred region); this specific verse emphasizes narrative dharma rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse centers on the moral force of śapatha (solemn oath).