Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

यथा मृत्युकृते मन्दः शृगालः सिंहवल्लभाम् । वने सुप्तां सुविश्वस्तां सर्वथाप्य कुतोभयाम्

Transliteration

yathā mṛtyukṛte mandaḥ śṛgālaḥ siṃhavallabhām | vane suptāṃ suviśvastāṃ sarvathāpya kutobhayām

Translation

தன் மரணத்திற்கே ஓடும் மூட நரி, காட்டில் உறங்கும், முழு நம்பிக்கையுடன் எவ்விதப் பயமுமற்ற சிங்கப் பிரியையை அணைவதுபோல்—அவனும் அப்படியே சென்றான்.

Word by Word

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Simile marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानार्थक-अव्यय (as/just as)

• mṛtyu-kṛte: in a deathly situation / for death
• mṛtyu-kṛte: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (mṛtyau kṛte = in the matter of death / death-intent)

• mandaḥ: dull, foolish
• mandaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: manda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (शृगालः)

• śṛgālaḥ: jackal
• śṛgālaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śṛgāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• siṃha-vallabhām: the lion's beloved (lioness)
• siṃha-vallabhām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siṃha (प्रातिपदिक) + vallabhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (siṃhasya vallabhā)

• vane: in the forest
• vane: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• suptām: sleeping
• suptām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svap (धातु) → supta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (वल्लभाम्)

• suviśvastām: fully trusting, unguarded
• suviśvastām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su- (उपसर्ग) + viśvasta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘अत्यन्त-विश्वस्त’

• sarvathā: in every way
• sarvathā: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (in every way)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (even/also)

• kuto-bhayām: fearless from any quarter
• kuto-bhayām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kutaḥ (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक) + bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञर्थ-तत्पुरुषसदृश/अव्यय-तत्पुरुष (kutaḥ bhayam yasyāḥ = having no fear from anywhere)

Speaker

Sūta (narrative simile)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vivid simile: a jackal, foolish and death-bound, creeps toward a lion’s beloved sleeping fearlessly in the forest—implying the asura’s approach to the maiden is similarly suicidal.

Characters & Entities

• Śṛgāla (jackal)
• Siṃha (lion)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharmic pursuit is self-destructive; the arrogant aggressor is likened to a jackal inviting death by provoking a lion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No; this is a moralizing simile within the larger Vindhya-area tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.