Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अश्वास्तित्तिरकल्माषाः सुदांताः सादिभिर्दृढैः । कस्तांश्चित्रपदन्यासैर्नियाम्यति मया विना

Transliteration

aśvāstittirakalmāṣāḥ sudāṃtāḥ sādibhirdṛḍhaiḥ | kastāṃścitrapadanyāsairniyāmyati mayā vinā

Translation

ม้าของเรา—สีติตติระและกัลมาษะ ฝึกดีแล้ว ถูกบังคับด้วยบังเหียนอันมั่นคง—หากไร้เรา ใครเล่าจะนำและควบคุมมันด้วยย่างก้าวอันวิจิตร?

Word by Word

• अश्वाः: horses
• अश्वाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तित्तिरकल्माषाः: Tittira-kalmāṣa (a named group/breed)
• तित्तिरकल्माषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तित्तिरकल्माष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सुदान्ताः: well-tamed
• सुदान्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (adjective)

• सादिभिः: with saddles etc.
• सादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सादि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अनिश्चित), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• दृढैः: firm/strong
• दृढैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• तान्: those (them)
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• चित्रपदन्यासैः: with varied/clever foot-placement (gaits/steps)
• चित्रपदन्यासैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्र + पद + न्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• नियाम्यति: controls/restrains
• नियाम्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrumental/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्ग/निपात-प्रयोगः; वियोगार्थक-पूर्वपद (preposition meaning 'without', governs accusative)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; the afflicted person’s lament within the narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grieving king speaks of his well-trained horses—tittira- and kalmāṣa-colored—reined firmly, famed for patterned, artful gait; the stable and chariot-yard imagery contrasts with impending abandonment.

Characters & Entities

• Aśva (horses)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Skill, authority, and control are temporary; realizing their fragility encourages a shift from mere management of the outer world to seeking enduring śānti through dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly.