Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 136

Devanagari script

यदा वेगं मृगी चक्रे सिंहः कुद्धस्तदा वने । सिंहोऽपि वेगवाञ्जातो मृगीवेगाधिकोऽभवत्

Transliteration

yadā vegaṃ mṛgī cakre siṃhaḥ kuddhastadā vane | siṃho'pi vegavāñjāto mṛgīvegādhiko'bhavat

Translation

Lorsque la biche s'élança à toute vitesse dans la forêt, le lion entra en fureur. Le lion devint lui aussi rapide, et sa vitesse surpassa celle de la biche.

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: when)

• वेगं: speed
• वेगं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular

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

• चक्रे: made; took up
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — did/made

• सिंहः: the lion
• सिंहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative Singular

• कुद्धः: angered
• कुद्धः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुध्/क्रुध् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकाले क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — ‘angered’

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative Singular

• सिंहः: the lion
• सिंहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative Singular

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Addition/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• वेगवान्: swift
• वेगवान्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative Singular

• जातः: became
• जातः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकाले क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘became/was born’ (used as finite sense)

• मृगीवेगाधिकः: faster than the doe
• मृगीवेगाधिकः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृगी (प्रातिपदिक) + वेग (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘मृग्याः वेगात् अधिकः’

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — was/became

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa narrative style, Sūta to the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Raivataka vana)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The doe bolts through the forest; the lion, enraged, accelerates beyond her speed—trees blur, dust rises, and the chase tightens into a near-certain outcome.

Characters & Entities

• Siṃha (lion)
• Mṛgī (doe)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Anger accelerates harm and overwhelms gentler forces; dharma recommends restraint so that power does not become cruelty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsa-region setting of the Vastrāpatha māhātmya (forest near Raivataka) forms the backdrop.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.