Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

हतं गोवत्समालोक्य व्याघ्रेणेति शुचं ययुः । गतेषु तेषु सर्वेषु व्युष्टायां च ततो निशि

Transliteration

hataṃ govatsamālokya vyāghreṇeti śucaṃ yayuḥ | gateṣu teṣu sarveṣu vyuṣṭāyāṃ ca tato niśi

Translation

Voyant le veau abattu, ils furent saisis de chagrin, pensant : «C’est un tigre qui l’a tué.» Quand tous furent partis, et que la nuit eut cédé à l’aurore, le récit se poursuivit.

Word by Word

• हतम्: killed
• हतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; past passive participle used adjectivally

• गोवत्सम्: the calf of a cow
• गोवत्सम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोवत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (गो + वत्स); पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आलोक्य: having seen
• आलोक्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + लोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having seen’

• व्याघ्रेण: by a tiger
• व्याघ्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• शुचम्: grief, sorrow
• शुचम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुच्/शुचि (प्रातिपदिक: शुच् f.)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ययुः: they went
• ययुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• गतेषु: when (they) had gone
• गतेषु: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; locative absolute with ‘तेषु’

• तेषु: in/among them
• तेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• सर्वेषु: all
• सर्वेषु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; ‘all’ qualifying ‘तेषु’

• व्युष्टायाम्: when it had dawned
• व्युष्टायाम्: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + उष् (धातु) → व्युष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; locative absolute with implied ‘निशि’/‘रात्रौ’

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

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवस्थानिर्देशक/क्रमसूचक (adverb: then/from there)

• निशि: at night
• निशि: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (context not specified in snippet; Purāṇic narrative voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A village edge at night: a slain calf lies on the ground; a small group stands around in grief, gesturing toward the forest as if a tiger did it; dawn light begins to rise after their departure.

Characters & Entities

• govatsa (calf)
• vyāghra (tiger)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

False narratives can mislead society temporarily, but karma is not erased by public misunderstanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.