Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

अहो चित्रमहो चित्रं ययाऽकस्माद्वरूथिनी । तृप्तिं नीतेयमस्माकं क्षुत्पिपासासमाकुला

Transliteration

aho citramaho citraṃ yayā'kasmādvarūthinī | tṛptiṃ nīteyamasmākaṃ kṣutpipāsāsamākulā

Translation

واہ کیا عجیب، کیا واقعی عجیب! اسی نے اچانک ہماری پوری جماعت کو—جو بھوک اور پیاس سے بے قرار تھی—سیرابی و تسکین تک پہنچا دیا۔

Word by Word

• अहो: ah!
• अहो: Sambodhana/Exclamation (उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्गार (interjection), अव्यय

• चित्रम्: a wonder
• चित्रम्: Karma/Predicative (कर्म/विशेष्य-भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

• अहो: ah!
• अहो: Sambodhana/Exclamation (उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्गार (interjection), अव्यय

• चित्रम्: a marvel
• चित्रम्: Karma/Predicative (कर्म/विशेष्य-भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

• यया: by whom/whereby (by her)
• यया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (feminine, instrumental singular)

• अकस्मात्: suddenly
• अकस्मात्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: akasmāt (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb), अव्यय

• वरूथिनी: the cow (Varūthinī)
• वरूथिनी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varūthinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine, nominative singular)

• तृप्तिम्: satisfaction
• तृप्तिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛpti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (feminine, accusative singular)

• नीता: has been brought/led
• नीता: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nī (नीञ् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (PPP, feminine nominative singular)

• इयम्: this (she)
• इयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine, nominative singular)

• अस्माकम्: of us/our
• अस्माकम्: Shashthi-sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• क्षुत्पिपासासमाकुला: afflicted by hunger and thirst
• क्षुत्पिपासासमाकुला: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣut (क्षुत्-प्रातिपदिक) + pipāsā (पिपासा-प्रातिपदिक) + samākula (समाकुल-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—क्षुत्पिपासाभ्यां समाकुला (hunger-and-thirst-afflicted)

Speaker

Viśvāmitra (quoted within Sūta’s narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A hungry, thirsty royal retinue suddenly becomes satisfied through the miraculous bounty associated with the sacred cow; faces shift from exhaustion to astonished relief; vessels fill, food appears, the forest setting glows with auspiciousness.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• varūthinī (army/host)
• Nandinī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred responds swiftly to genuine need; divine abundance is not limited by worldly scale.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse contributes to the atmosphere of tīrtha-glorification but does not name a particular site in isolation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an exclamation of the miracle and its dharmic outcome (relief of hunger and thirst).