Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अथ दृष्ट्वा महीपालं नातिदूरे धनुर्धरम् । प्रोवाचाश्रुपरिक्लिन्नवदना सुतवत्सला

Transliteration

atha dṛṣṭvā mahīpālaṃ nātidūre dhanurdharam | provācāśrupariklinnavadanā sutavatsalā

Translation

ແລ້ວເມື່ອນາງເຫັນພະຣາຊາຢູ່ບໍ່ໄກ ຖືຄັນທະນູໃນມື ນາງແມ່ກວາງ—ໃບໜ້າຊຸ່ມດ້ວຍນ້ຳຕາ ແລະເຕັມໄປດ້ວຍຄວາມຮັກລູກ—ຈຶ່ງເວົ້າກັບພະອົງ।

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (conjunctive particle)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• महीपालम्: the king
• महीपालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपाल (प्रातिपदिक; मही + पाल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (महीम् पालयति इति)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• अतिदूरे: not far away
• अतिदूरे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिदूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे स्थानवाचक (in a not-too-far place)

• धनुर्धरम्: the bow-bearer (archer)
• धनुर्धरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुर्धर (प्रातिपदिक; धनुस् + धर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (धनुः धरति इति)

• प्रोवाच: said
• प्रोवाच: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अश्रु: tears
• अश्रु: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (tears)

• परिक्लिन्न: soaked
• परिक्लिन्न: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + क्लिद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); समासमध्यपद (soaked)

• वदना: face
• वदना: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासोत्तरपद; स्त्रीलिङ्गे बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषणरूपेण

• अश्रुपरिक्लिन्नवदना: whose face was wet with tears
• अश्रुपरिक्लिन्नवदना: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अश्रु + परिक्लिन्न + वदन (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (सा)

• सुतवत्सला: affectionate to her son
• सुतवत्सला: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुतवत्सल (प्रातिपदिक; सुत + वत्सल)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थ (सुतं प्रति वत्सला)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; immediately followed by ‘mṛgyuvāca’)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The doe, face wet with tears, turns toward the nearby king holding a bow; her posture is both weak and dignified, as if pleading for her fawn; the king’s stance shows surprise and dawning remorse.

Characters & Entities

• mahīpāla (king)
• mṛgī (doe)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even within worldly duties, compassion (dayā) is a higher dharmic measure, especially toward the vulnerable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya narrative frame; the specific tīrtha is not named in this single śloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it sets the scene for a dharma-discussion.