Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

त्वयोक्तं शपथैर्भद्रे आगमिष्याम्यहं पुनः । तेन मे कौतुकं जातं किमेषा प्रकरिष्यति

Transliteration

tvayoktaṃ śapathairbhadre āgamiṣyāmyahaṃ punaḥ | tena me kautukaṃ jātaṃ kimeṣā prakariṣyati

Translation

பத்ரே, நீ சபதங்களுடன் ‘நான் மீண்டும் வருவேன்’ என்று சொன்னாய். அதனால் எனக்குக் கௌதுகம் எழுந்தது—இவள் உண்மையில் என்ன செய்வாள்?

Word by Word

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent of saying/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instr. sg.)

• उक्तम्: said
• उक्तम्: Karma (Content/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे ‘said’

• शपथैः: with oaths
• शपथैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शपथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (instr. pl.)

• भद्रे: O good lady
• भद्रे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (voc. sg.)

• आगमिष्यामि: I will come
• आगमिष्यामि: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्/Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nom. sg.)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण

• तेन: therefore, by that
• तेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instr. sg.); हेत्वर्थे ‘therefore/by that’

• मे: my, to me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन (gen./dat. sg. enclitic)

• कौतुकम्: curiosity, wonder
• कौतुकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जातम्: arose
• जातम्: Kriyā (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘has arisen’

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Interrogative object/प्रश्न-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative)

• एषा: this (woman)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nom. sg.)

• प्रकरिष्यति: will do, will act
• प्रकरिष्यति: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्/Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Vyāghra (the tiger)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The tiger reflects aloud: her oath to return sparked his curiosity; the moment is contemplative—predator as examiner, woman as steadfast practitioner of satya.

Characters & Entities

• vyāghra (tiger)
• Sudhenū/Nandinī (addressed)
• śapatha (oath)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A vow tests integrity; the narrative shows that dharma can awaken even in observers through witnessing truth kept under pressure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya story-cycle; the tīrtha’s greatness is implied through the dharmic miracle of character transformation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The emphasis is on śapatha (solemn oath) as a binding dharmic commitment, not on a formal rite.