Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

तत्र विव्याध विशिखैः शार्दूलान्गवयान्मृगान् । रुरून्वराहान्महिषान्मृगेंद्रानपि भूरिशः

Transliteration

tatra vivyādha viśikhaiḥ śārdūlāngavayānmṛgān | rurūnvarāhānmahiṣānmṛgeṃdrānapi bhūriśaḥ

Translation

There he pierced with arrows many beasts—tigers, gayals, deer, antelopes, boars, buffaloes, and even mighty lords among animals—again and again.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• विव्याध: pierced/shot
• विव्याध: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-व्यध् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; (pierced/shot)

• विशिखैः: with arrows
• विशिखैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशिख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; (with arrows)

• शार्दूलान्: tigers
• शार्दूलान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; (tigers)

• गवयान्: gaurs
• गवयान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गवय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; (gaurs/wild oxen)

• मृगान्: deer
• मृगान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; (deer/animals)

• रुरून्: ruru-deer
• रुरून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; (ruru-deer/antelopes)

• वराहान्: boars
• वराहान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; (boars)

• महिषान्: buffaloes
• महिषान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; (buffaloes)

• मृगेन्द्रान्: lords of beasts (lions)
• मृगेन्द्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): मृगाणाम् इन्द्राः; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; (lords of beasts)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक अव्यय (also/even)

• भूरिशः: in great numbers
• भूरिशः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूरिशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/परिमाणवाचक अव्यय (adverb: abundantly/many times)

Speaker

Narrator (not specified in the excerpt; likely the Purāṇic narrator within Brāhma Khaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king looses arrows in rapid succession; animals—tiger, boar, deer, buffalo—depicted in motion amid forest; a sense of relentless repetition and mounting consequence.

Characters & Entities

• śārdūla (tiger)
• varāha (boar)
• mahiṣa (buffalo)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse intensifies the theme of indulgence in hunting, preparing the ground for karmic reversal or a dharmic turning point.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is identified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is purely narrative.