Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

इति श्रुत्वा वचो राजा सारस्वतमुदैक्षत । जनो विहस्य सानन्दं सर्वं सत्यं मृगीवचः

Transliteration

iti śrutvā vaco rājā sārasvatamudaikṣata | jano vihasya sānandaṃ sarvaṃ satyaṃ mṛgīvacaḥ

Translation

Entendant ces paroles, le roi tourna son regard vers Sārasvata. Le peuple, riant de joie, reconnut que chaque mot prononcé par la biche était véridique.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive) — ‘having heard’

• वचः: speech/words
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

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

• सारस्वतम्: Sārasvata (person)
• सारस्वतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; (proper name/epithet)

• उदैक्षत: looked at
• उदैक्षत: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• जनः: the people
• जनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (collective: people)

• विहस्य: having laughed
• विहस्य: Kriya-viseshana (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + हस् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund) — ‘having laughed’

• सानन्दम्: joyfully
• सानन्दम्: Kriya-viseshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स-आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक; स + आनन्द)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; क्रियाविशेषण—‘with joy’

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण—(qualifying implied ‘वचः/कथनम्’)

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘true’

• मृगीवचः: the doe’s speech
• मृगीवचः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगी-वचस् (प्रातिपदिक; मृगी + वचस्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘मृग्याः वचः’ (the doe’s words)

Speaker

Narrator voice describing the scene

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King and assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, having heard the doe’s words, turns to Sārasvata for confirmation; the gathered people laugh with delighted amazement, affirming the truth of the doe’s speech.

Characters & Entities

• rājā
• Sārasvata
• jana
• mṛgī (doe)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sage-authority (ṛṣi) serves as a compass for interpreting marvels; truth is affirmed through dharmic witness and discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode remains within the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra māhātmya of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; this verse narrates public and royal response to the revelation.