Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

वधार्थं मृगयूथानामागतो विन्ध्यपर्वतम् । तरुजातिसमाकीर्णे हस्तियूथसमाचिते

Transliteration

vadhārthaṃ mṛgayūthānāmāgato vindhyaparvatam | tarujātisamākīrṇe hastiyūthasamācite

Translation

മാൻകൂട്ടങ്ങളെ വധിക്കുവാൻ അവൻ വിന്ധ്യപർവ്വതത്തിലേക്കു വന്നു—വിവിധ വൃക്ഷജാതികളാൽ സാന്ദ്രവും ആനക്കൂട്ടങ്ങളാൽ നിറഞ്ഞതുമായിരുന്നു അത്।

Word by Word

• वधार्थम्: for killing; for the purpose of slaughter
• वधार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्ययम् (क्रियाविशेषणम्), अर्थः—'वधस्य अर्थे/वधाय' (for the purpose of killing)

• मृगयूथानाम्: of the herds of deer
• मृगयूथानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक) + यूथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मृगाणां यूथानि)

• आगतः: came; arrived
• आगतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (past passive participle); पुल्लिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अर्थः—'आगतः' (having come/arrived)

• विन्ध्यपर्वतम्: to the Vindhya mountain
• विन्ध्यपर्वतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विन्ध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गम्; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (विन्ध्यः पर्वतः)

• तरुजातिसमाकीर्णे: in (a place) filled with varieties of trees
• तरुजातिसमाकीर्णे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तरु (प्रातिपदिक) + जाति (प्रातिपदिक) + सम् + आ + कृ (धातु)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्; (स्थाने/देशे) विशेषणम्; समाकीर्ण (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-प्रातिपदिक) 'समाकीर्णे'—'तरुजातिभिः समाकीर्णे' (filled with kinds of trees)

• हस्तियूथसमाचिते: in (a place) crowded with herds of elephants
• हस्तियूथसमाचिते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हस्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + यूथ (प्रातिपदिक) + सम् + आ + चि (धातु)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्; (स्थाने) विशेषणम्; समाचित (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-प्रातिपदिक) 'हस्तियूथैः समाचिते' (thronged with herds of elephants)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced for Skanda Purāṇa narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king with retinue enters the Vindhya slopes: layered forest canopy, deer herds scattering, a visible line of elephants moving through sal trees; the mountain rises dark-green behind.

Characters & Entities

• Vindhya Parvata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The pursuit of violence and sport-hunting becomes the narrative cause that drives the king into powerful sacred landscapes where dharma will be re-taught.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vindhya mountain is named as the setting; in the Revā Khaṇḍa this geography functions as the threshold to Narmadā-associated sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the king’s motive and the forested Vindhya setting.