Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

नंदिन्युवाच । आगताहं महाव्याघ्र सत्ये च शपथे स्थिता । कुरु तृप्तिं यथाकामं मम मांसेन सांप्रतम्

Transliteration

naṃdinyuvāca | āgatāhaṃ mahāvyāghra satye ca śapathe sthitā | kuru tṛptiṃ yathākāmaṃ mama māṃsena sāṃpratam

Translation

นางนันทินีกล่าวว่า: “โอ้พญาเสือผู้ยิ่งใหญ่ ข้ามาถึงแล้วโดยตั้งมั่นในสัจจะและคำปฏิญาณ บัดนี้จงดับความหิวของท่านตามปรารถนา ด้วยเนื้อของข้าเถิด”

Word by Word

• नन्दिनी: Nandinī
• नन्दिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; parasmaipada (perfect, 3rd sg.)

• आगता: come, arrived
• आगता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√गम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; past participle

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

• महाव्याघ्र: O great tiger
• महाव्याघ्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् व्याघ्रः)

• सत्ये: in truth
• सत्ये: Adhikarana (Location/State/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

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

• शपथे: in (my) oath
• शपथे: Adhikarana (Location/State/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शपथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• स्थिता: standing/firm, abiding
• स्थिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; past participle

• कुरु: do, make
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; parasmaipada (imperative, 2nd sg.)

• तृप्तिम्: satisfaction, satiation
• तृप्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• यथा-कामम्: as you desire
• यथा-कामम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव (adverbial compound), अव्यय; प्रकारार्थे (as you wish)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मांस-ेन: with flesh
• मांस-ेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; करण (instrumental)

• साम्प्रतम्: now, at present
• साम्प्रतम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साम्प्रतम् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Nandinī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandinī stands before the great tiger, calm and resolute, declaring her oath-bound truth and offering her own flesh to satisfy its hunger.

Characters & Entities

• Nandinī
• vyāghra (tiger)
• satya (truth)
• śapatha (oath)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Satya (truthfulness) and fidelity to vows are upheld as supreme dharma—even when they demand personal sacrifice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is part of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya episode; the sacred place is honored through the exemplary dharma enacted within its narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A vow (śapatha) is central here, emphasizing the dharmic force of keeping one’s word rather than a formal rite like snāna or dāna.