Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

व्याघ्र उवाच । गत्वा स्वसुतसांनिध्यं दृष्ट्वात्मीयं च गोकुलम् । पुनरागमनं यत्ते न च तच्छ्रद्दधाम्यहम्

Transliteration

vyāghra uvāca | gatvā svasutasāṃnidhyaṃ dṛṣṭvātmīyaṃ ca gokulam | punarāgamanaṃ yatte na ca tacchraddadhāmyaham

Translation

พญาเสือกล่าวว่า: “เมื่อเจ้าไปอยู่ใกล้ลูกโคของตน และได้เห็นคอกโคของตนแล้ว เราไม่เชื่อว่าเจ้าจะกลับมาอีก”

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund): having gone

• स्व: own
• स्व: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण

• सुत: son
• सुत: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण

• सांनिध्यम्: presence; proximity
• सांनिध्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांनिध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (स्वसुतस्य सांनिध्यम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund): having seen

• आत्मीयम्: one's own
• आत्मीयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गोकुलम्-इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गोकुलम्: cow-settlement; cowherd village
• गोकुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• आगमनम्: returning
• आगमनम्: Karma/Topic (Object/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आगमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र 'पुनरागमनम्' इति समस्तपदस्य अङ्गम्

• यत्: which
• यत्: Vishaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• ते: your
• ते: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (here: emphatic/and)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'पुनरागमनम्' इत्यस्य निर्देशः

• श्रद्दधामि: I believe; trust
• श्रद्दधामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रद्-धा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

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

Speaker

Vyāghra (Tiger)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The tiger, eyes narrowed, speaks with suspicion; behind Kapilā, a faint glimpse of the gokuḷa and herd suggests the temptation to flee; tension is conveyed through the tiger’s poised claws and the cow’s steady gaze.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāghra
• Kapilā (cow)
• suta (calf)
• gokula

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames a dharmic test: worldly attachment (calf and home) can weaken resolve, so truthfulness must be proven, not merely claimed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is within the Arbuda section of the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa; the immediate line itself is narrative and does not directly name a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a dialogue establishing the moral tension of vow and return.