Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

स मया प्रार्थितः पुत्र भक्षमाणो नखायुधः । शपथैरागमिष्यामि गोकुले वीक्ष्य चात्मजम्

Transliteration

sa mayā prārthitaḥ putra bhakṣamāṇo nakhāyudhaḥ | śapathairāgamiṣyāmi gokule vīkṣya cātmajam

Translation

"เจ้าสัตว์ที่มีกรงเล็บเป็นอาวุธนั้นพร้อมที่จะกินแม่ แต่แม่ได้วิงวอนขอร้องเขาไว้ แม่ได้ให้คำสัตย์สาบานว่า: 'ข้าจะกลับมาหลังจากไปที่โกกุละและได้พบลูกของข้าแล้ว'"

Word by Word

• सः: he (that one)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• प्रार्थितः: was requested/begged
• प्रार्थितः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अर्थ् (धातु) → प्रार्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पुत्र: O son
• पुत्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• भक्षमाणः: devouring
• भक्षमाणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु) → भक्षमाण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; शतृ/शानच्)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present participle, आत्मनेपद-भाव), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नखायुधः: one whose weapons are claws
• नखायुधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नख + आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (नखाः आयुधानि यस्य सः)

• शपथैः: with oaths
• शपथैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शपथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• आगमिष्यामि: I shall come
• आगमिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• गोकुले: in the cowherd-settlement (Gokula)
• गोकुले: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• वीक्ष्य: having seen
• वीक्ष्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वीक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• आत्मजम्: (my) son
• आत्मजम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (आत्मनः जः = own-born/son)

Speaker

Nandinī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gokula (referenced)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: putra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tiger poised to devour; Nandinī, hands raised in supplication, speaks an oath: she will go to Gokula, see her child, and return—her face resolute, the tiger momentarily arrested by her plea.

Characters & Entities

• Nandinī
• Vyāghra (tiger)
• Gokula
• son (ātmaja)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Keeping one’s pledged word (śapatha) is portrayed as a high dharma, even when life is at stake.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gokula is explicitly mentioned as the place she must go to see her child; the chapter overall remains within a Tīrthamāhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual is prescribed; the verse highlights śapatha (solemn vow/oath) as a binding dharmic act.