Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठ उवाच । न त्वां यच्छाम्यहं धेनो प्राणत्यागेऽपि संस्थिते । तद्रक्षस्व स्वयं धेनो आत्मानं मत्प्रभावतः

Transliteration

vasiṣṭha uvāca | na tvāṃ yacchāmyahaṃ dheno prāṇatyāge'pi saṃsthite | tadrakṣasva svayaṃ dheno ātmānaṃ matprabhāvataḥ

Translation

วสิษฐะกล่าวว่า: โอ้แม่โคผู้ศักดิ์สิทธิ์ แม้ถึงคราวสละชีวิต เราก็มิอาจทอดทิ้งเจ้าได้ ดังนั้น โอ้ธนู จงคุ้มครองตนด้วยกำลังของตนเอง อาศัยเดชตบะของเราเป็นพลังหนุน

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/स्त्री (सर्वनाम), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यच्छामि: I give/hand over
• यच्छामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• धेनो: O cow
• धेनो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• प्राणत्यागे: in the giving up of life
• प्राणत्यागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण + त्याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्राणानां त्यागः)

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

• संस्थिते: when (you are) resolved/standing (in it)
• संस्थिते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; 'स्थित' = being placed/being in a state

• तत्: that (situation/thing)
• तत्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• रक्षस्व: protect
• रक्षस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• स्वयम्: yourself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• धेनो: O cow
• धेनो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• आत्मानम्: yourself (the self)
• आत्मानम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मत्प्रभावतः: because of my power
• मत्प्रभावतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मत् (अस्मद्-षष्ठी-रूप) + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तसिल्)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) = 'from/because of'; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मम प्रभावः)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dhenu (sacred cow)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vasiṣṭha, calm yet firm, stands beside the sacred cow, declaring he will not abandon her even at the cost of life; an aura of tapas (radiant tejas) surrounds them, foreshadowing supernatural defense.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Nandinī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True dharma protects the innocent at any cost; spiritual power (tapas) stands as a shield when righteousness is challenged.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Tīrthamāhātmya chapter’s narrative, but it does not explicitly name a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse emphasizes protective resolve and the efficacy of tapas.