Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

गार्गि रक्ष पयो भद्रे नकुलोऽयमुपेति च । पयः पातुं कृतिमतिं नकुलं तं निराकुरु

Transliteration

gārgi rakṣa payo bhadre nakulo'yamupeti ca | payaḥ pātuṃ kṛtimatiṃ nakulaṃ taṃ nirākuru

Translation

“伽尔吉啊，贤善的你，护住这乳汁——这只猫鼬正走来。它善于偷饮乳汁，快把那猫鼬赶走。”

Word by Word

• गार्गि: O Gārgī
• गार्गि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गार्गी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधन-प्रयोग (vocative address)

• रक्ष: protect
• रक्ष: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पयः: milk
• पयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; (sandhi-resolved from पयो)

• भद्रे: O good lady / dear one
• भद्रे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; प्रिय-सम्बोधन (term of endearment)

• नकुलः: the mongoose
• नकुलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उपेति: approaches
• उपेति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-इ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• पयः: milk
• पयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन

• पातुम्: to drink
• पातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), अव्यय-भाव; कर्तृ/कर्म-सम्बन्धे प्रयोजनम्

• कृतिमतीम्: clever / intelligent
• कृतिमतीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतिमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• नकुलम्: the mongoose
• नकुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• निराकुरु: drive away / repel
• निराकुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-आ-कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Yājñavalkya (speaking to Gārgī, within the narrated episode)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A hermitage or simple household scene: Gārgī near a pot of milk; a mongoose approaches stealthily; a speaker urgently warns her to protect the milk and drive it away.

Characters & Entities

• Yājñavalkya
• Gārgī
• Nakula (mongoose)
• Milk (payaḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes careful stewardship of āśrama resources; alertness and restraint prevent disorder and harm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse is a domestic āśrama instruction within the broader Purāṇic narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a practical injunction—guarding and preserving what is meant for rightful use.