Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

एवं सा करुणं यावन्नन्दिनी विलपत्यलम् । तावद्व्याघ्रः स्मितं कृत्वा प्रोवाच परुषाक्षरम्

Transliteration

evaṃ sā karuṇaṃ yāvannandinī vilapatyalam | tāvadvyāghraḥ smitaṃ kṛtvā provāca paruṣākṣaram

Translation

ครั้นนางนันทินีคร่ำครวญด้วยความเวทนาอยู่นานเท่าใด พยัคฆ์ก็ยิ้มแล้วกล่าวถ้อยคำกระด้างใส่นางเท่านั้น

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-viseshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• करुणम्: piteously
• करुणम्: Kriya-viseshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: करुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (piteously)

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यावत्तावद्-सम्बन्धे (as long as)

• नन्दिनी: Nandinī
• नन्दिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विलपति: laments
• विलपति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-लप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• अलम्: excessively
• अलम्: Kriya-viseshana (Degree/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अलम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/पर्याप्त्यर्थे (enough/very much); अत्र ‘अत्यर्थम्’ (excessively)

• तावत्: then (meanwhile)
• तावत्: Sambandha (correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यावत्तावद्-सम्बन्धे (then/so long)

• व्याघ्रः: the tiger
• व्याघ्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्मितम्: a smile
• स्मितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकाल (having done/made)

• प्रोवाच: said
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-उच्/वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘प्र + उवाच’ (said)

• परुष-अक्षरम्: harsh words
• परुष-अक्षरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परुष (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (परुषम् अक्षरम् = harsh word/syllable); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, unspecified)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottama (addressed brāhmaṇa listener)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: As Nandinī laments, the tiger steps forward with a faint smile and begins to speak in harsh syllables—an unsettling blend of intelligence and menace in the forest near the sacred waters.

Characters & Entities

• Nandinī
• vyāghra (tiger)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is often tested in moments of vulnerability; the narrative sets up a trial where virtue must answer violence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter, but this line alone does not specify the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it transitions into dialogue.