Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा मृगी प्राणान्सा मुमोच व्यथान्विता । कुष्ठव्याधिसमायुक्तः सोऽपि राजा बभूव ह

Transliteration

evamuktvā mṛgī prāṇānsā mumoca vyathānvitā | kuṣṭhavyādhisamāyuktaḥ so'pi rājā babhūva ha

Translation

Après avoir ainsi parlé, la biche, tourmentée par la douleur, rendit son souffle de vie. Et ce roi aussi, en vérité, fut atteint de la maladie de la lèpre.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘एवं/thus’

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त/absolutive)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund): ‘having said’

• मृगी: the doe
• मृगी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्राणान्: life-breaths; life
• प्राणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (सर्वनाम/pronoun)

• मुमोच: released; gave up
• मुमोच: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• व्यथा-अन्विता: afflicted with pain
• व्यथा-अन्विता: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यथा (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘व्यथया अन्विता’ (endowed with pain)

• कुष्ठ-व्याधि-समायुक्तः: afflicted with leprosy-disease
• कुष्ठ-व्याधि-समायुक्तः: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक) + समायुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘कुष्ठव्याधिना समायुक्तः’ (associated with leprosy-disease)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (सर्वनाम/pronoun)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle): ‘also/even’

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• बभूव: became
• बभूव: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed
• ह: Discourse particle (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle), पदपूरण/अनुस्मारक—emphatic ‘indeed’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wounded doe, speaking her last words, collapses and releases her life-breath; nearby the king’s skin shows the marks of kuṣṭha as the karmic consequence unfolds, with attendants and forest stillness around.

Characters & Entities

• mṛgī (doe)
• rājā (king)
• kuṣṭha (leprosy)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma yields immediate fruit; suffering is portrayed as the moral echo of cruelty, urging repentance and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse does not name a specific tīrtha; it concludes the curse episode that typically motivates seeking a holy ford for relief.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it narrates the outcome (death of the doe and the king’s affliction).