Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

यथा मृत्युकृते मन्दः शृगालः सिंहवल्लभाम् । वने सुप्तां सुविश्वस्तां सर्वथाप्य कुतोभयाम्

Transliteration

yathā mṛtyukṛte mandaḥ śṛgālaḥ siṃhavallabhām | vane suptāṃ suviśvastāṃ sarvathāpya kutobhayām

Translation

جیسے اپنی ہی موت کو بلانے والا نادان گیدڑ، جنگل میں سوئی ہوئی، بےفکر اور ہر طرح بےخوف شیر کی محبوبہ کے پاس بڑھتا ہے—ویسے ہی وہ بھی آگے بڑھا۔

Word by Word

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Simile marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानार्थक-अव्यय (as/just as)

• mṛtyu-kṛte: in a deathly situation / for death
• mṛtyu-kṛte: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (mṛtyau kṛte = in the matter of death / death-intent)

• mandaḥ: dull, foolish
• mandaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: manda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (शृगालः)

• śṛgālaḥ: jackal
• śṛgālaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śṛgāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• siṃha-vallabhām: the lion's beloved (lioness)
• siṃha-vallabhām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siṃha (प्रातिपदिक) + vallabhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (siṃhasya vallabhā)

• vane: in the forest
• vane: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• suptām: sleeping
• suptām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svap (धातु) → supta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (वल्लभाम्)

• suviśvastām: fully trusting, unguarded
• suviśvastām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su- (उपसर्ग) + viśvasta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘अत्यन्त-विश्वस्त’

• sarvathā: in every way
• sarvathā: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (in every way)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (even/also)

• kuto-bhayām: fearless from any quarter
• kuto-bhayām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kutaḥ (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक) + bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञर्थ-तत्पुरुषसदृश/अव्यय-तत्पुरुष (kutaḥ bhayam yasyāḥ = having no fear from anywhere)

Speaker

Sūta (narrative simile)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vivid simile: a jackal, foolish and death-bound, creeps toward a lion’s beloved sleeping fearlessly in the forest—implying the asura’s approach to the maiden is similarly suicidal.

Characters & Entities

• Śṛgāla (jackal)
• Siṃha (lion)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharmic pursuit is self-destructive; the arrogant aggressor is likened to a jackal inviting death by provoking a lion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No; this is a moralizing simile within the larger Vindhya-area tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.