Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21
Devanagari script
अश्वास्तित्तिरकल्माषाः सुदांताः सादिभिर्दृढैः । कस्तांश्चित्रपदन्यासैर्नियाम्यति मया विना
Transliteration
aśvāstittirakalmāṣāḥ sudāṃtāḥ sādibhirdṛḍhaiḥ | kastāṃścitrapadanyāsairniyāmyati mayā vinā
Translation
我的骏马——毛色如“鹧鸪色”与“杂斑色”——驯良而受缰绳牢控；若无我，谁能以巧妙步伐引导并约束它们？
Word by Word
अश्वाःhorses
अश्वाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)
तित्तिरकल्माषाःTittira-kalmāṣa (a named group/breed)
तित्तिरकल्माषाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतित्तिरकल्माष (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)
सुदान्ताःwell-tamed
सुदान्ताः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootसु + दान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (adjective)
सादिभिःwith saddles etc.
सादिभिः:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootसादि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अनिश्चित), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)
दृढैःfirm/strong
दृढैः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootदृढ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण
कःwho?
कः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootक (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)
तान्those (them)
तान्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)
चित्रपदन्यासैःwith varied/clever foot-placement (gaits/steps)
चित्रपदन्यासैः:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootचित्र + पद + न्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)
नियाम्यतिcontrols/restrains
नियाम्यति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootनि + यम् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद
मयाby me
मया:
Kartr-karana (Agent-instrumental/कर्ता-करण)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formउत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)
विनाwithout
विना:
Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootविना (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; उपसर्ग/निपात-प्रयोगः; वियोगार्थक-पूर्वपद (preposition meaning 'without', governs accusative)
Speaker
Narrator (contextual; the afflicted person’s lament within the narration)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A grieving king speaks of his well-trained horses—tittira- and kalmāṣa-colored—reined firmly, famed for patterned, artful gait; the stable and chariot-yard imagery contrasts with impending abandonment.
Characters & Entities
A
Aśva (horses)FAQs
Skill, authority, and control are temporary; realizing their fragility encourages a shift from mere management of the outer world to seeking enduring śānti through dharma.
No tīrtha is named in this verse.
None explicitly.