Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । कथं त्वं हरिणीरूपे जाता मानुषरूपिणी । केन संवर्धिता बाल्ये कथं ते रूपमीदृशम्

Transliteration

rājovāca | kathaṃ tvaṃ hariṇīrūpe jātā mānuṣarūpiṇī | kena saṃvardhitā bālye kathaṃ te rūpamīdṛśam

Translation

Le roi dit : « Comment es-tu née sous la forme d’une biche, tout en possédant un corps humain ? Qui t’a élevée durant l’enfance, et comment as-tu obtenu une apparence pareille ? »

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नाव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• हरिणीरूपे: in the form of a doe
• हरिणीरूपे: Adhikaraṇa (State/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरिणी + रूप (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हरिण्याः रूपम्)

• जाता: born
• जाता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• मानुषरूपिणी: having human form
• मानुषरूपिणी: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानुष + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मानुषं रूपं यस्याः सा)

• केन: by whom; with what
• केन: Karaṇa/Karta (Instrument/Agent/करण/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; प्रश्न (by whom/with what)

• संवर्धिता: was raised; nurtured
• संवर्धिता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + वर्ध् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘brought up’

• बाल्ये: in childhood
• बाल्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Time/State/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; अधिकरण (in/at)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नाव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• ते: your; of you
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (enclitic)

• रूपम्: form; appearance
• रूपम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• ईदृशम्: such; like this
• ईदृशम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; रूप-विशेषण

Speaker

Rājā (King Bhoja, by immediate context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mṛgī (doe-woman)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, seated in a forest-side or tīrtha-side court, questions a doe-faced human woman about her birth and upbringing; attendants and sacred landscape frame the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Rājā Bhoja (implied)
• Hariṇī (doe)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma begins with inquiry: the king’s questioning models attentive listening to karmic and tīrtha-centered teachings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The dialogue continues within the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra māhātmya, the section dedicated to praising that sacred place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative prompt initiating the explanation.