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Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

प्रायो मृतो मृतप्रायः शेषोऽभूद्धरणीतले । नष्टा अरण्यजा ग्राम्याः पशवः पक्षिणो मृगाः

prāyo mṛto mṛtaprāyaḥ śeṣo'bhūddharaṇītale | naṣṭā araṇyajā grāmyāḥ paśavaḥ pakṣiṇo mṛgāḥ

Presque tous étaient morts ; ceux qui demeuraient sur la terre étaient comme morts. Les êtres des forêts et des villages — bétail, oiseaux et bêtes sauvages — périrent.

प्रायःmostly, generally
प्रायः:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootप्रायस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘प्रायः’ = प्रायः/अधिकांशतः (mostly, generally)
मृतःdead
मृतः:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootमृत (कृदन्त; √मृ (धातु) + क्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकाले कृदन्त (past participle): ‘dead’
मृतप्रायःalmost dead
मृतप्रायः:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootमृत (कृदन्त) + प्राय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास: ‘मृत इव प्रायः’ (almost dead)
शेषःthe remainder, what was left
शेषः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
अभूत्became, was
अभूत्:
Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√भू (धातु)
Formलुङ् (Aorist/अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
धरणीतलेon the earth’s surface
धरणीतले:
Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootधरणी (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/संबन्ध): ‘धरण्याः तलम्’ = on the surface of the earth
नष्टाःperished, were destroyed
नष्टाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootनष्ट (कृदन्त; √नश् (धातु) + क्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (perished)
अरण्यजाःforest-born, wild
अरण्यजाः:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootअरण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक ‘born’)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘अरण्ये जाताः’ (born in the forest)
ग्राम्याःdomestic
ग्राम्याः:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootग्राम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘domestic/village’
पशवःanimals, cattle
पशवः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootपशु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन
पक्षिणःbirds
पक्षिणः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootपक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन
मृगाःdeer, wild animals
मृगाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootमृग (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Pulastya (narrative continuation)

Listener: Yayāti

Scene: A silent earth: carcasses of cattle and birds, empty villages, forest stillness; a few survivors moving like shadows; the sky pale and pitiless.

FAQs

When dharmic balance collapses, suffering spreads across all beings, underscoring the need for sacred remedies and right conduct.

No site is named here; it supports the larger Agni-tīrtha māhātmya by describing the calamity.

None; it is descriptive narration of the famine’s severity.