Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा मृगी राजाग्रतः प्राणैर्व्ययुज्यत । पीडिता शरघातेन पुत्रस्नेहाद्विशेषतः

Transliteration

evamuktvā mṛgī rājāgrataḥ prāṇairvyayujyata | pīḍitā śaraghātena putrasnehādviśeṣataḥ

Translation

So sprechend gab die Hirschkuh vor dem König ihr Leben auf, gequält vom Schlag des Pfeils und noch mehr von der Liebe zu ihrem Jungen.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• उक्त्वा: having spoken
• उक्त्वा: Kriya (Prior action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया

• मृगी: the doe
• मृगी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• राज-अग्रतः: before the king
• राज-अग्रतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: राजन् + अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः (राज्ञः अग्रतः), देशवाचक-अव्यय (in front of the king)

• प्राणैः: from (her) life-breaths
• प्राणैः: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• व्ययुज्यत: was separated; departed
• व्ययुज्यत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + युज् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘वियुज्यत’ = ‘वियुक्ता अभवत्’

• पीडिता: afflicted; tormented
• पीडिता: Karta (State/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle, क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘मृगी’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• शर-घातेन: by the blow of an arrow
• शर-घातेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर + घात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (शरेण घातः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुत्र-स्नेहात्: from affection for her son
• पुत्र-स्नेहात्: Apadana (Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र + स्नेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (पुत्रे स्नेहः/पुत्रस्य स्नेहः), पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/अतिशयवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: especially)

Speaker

Pulastya (narrative voice continues implicitly after the quoted speech)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The doe collapses before the king, arrow-wound visible; her gaze turns toward an unseen fawn, conveying maternal attachment; the king stands stunned, remorse deepening as life departs.

Characters & Entities

• Rājā (king)
• Mṛgī (doe)
• Śara (arrow)
• Putra (fawn)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Violence produces layered suffering—physical pain and the deeper wound of broken care and responsibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda mountain setting is the sanctified backdrop where the moral drama culminates and karmic transformation follows.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse narrates the event that triggers the curse’s immediate effect.