Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

सुराष्ट्रस्य तथा राज्ञः करं स्पृष्ट्वा मृगांगना । तत्क्षणाद्गर्भिणी भूत्वा मुनिं प्रासूत तापसम्

Transliteration

surāṣṭrasya tathā rājñaḥ karaṃ spṛṣṭvā mṛgāṃganā | tatkṣaṇādgarbhiṇī bhūtvā muniṃ prāsūta tāpasam

Translation

അതുപോലെ സുറാഷ്ട്രരാജാവിന്റെ കൈ മാത്രം സ്പർശിച്ചതോടെ ഒരു മൃഗാംഗന തത്സമയത്ത് ഗർഭിണിയായി, ഒരു താപസ മുനിയെ പ്രസവിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• surāṣṭrasya: of Surāṣṭra
• surāṣṭrasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: surāṣṭra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb ‘thus/likewise’)

• rājñaḥ: of the king
• rājñaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• karam: hand
• karam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• spṛṣṭvā: having touched
• spṛṣṭvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √spṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• mṛgāṅganā: a doe (lit. deer-woman)
• mṛgāṅganā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛgāṅganā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tatkṣaṇāt: from that very moment
• tatkṣaṇāt: Apādāna (Source/Time-from/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tatkṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तत् + क्षण)

• garbhiṇī: pregnant
• garbhiṇī: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: garbhiṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying mṛgāṅganā)

• bhūtvā: having become
• bhūtvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• munim: a sage
• munim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• prāsūta: she gave birth to
• prāsūta: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√sū (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• tāpasam: ascetic
• tāpasam: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāpasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying munim)

Speaker

Wise elder (didactic exemplification; implied)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Surāṣṭra (regional kṣetra reference)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dignified king of Surāṣṭra extends his hand; a doe touches it lightly; an instantaneous aura indicates conception; later, an ascetic child is shown with matted hair and deer-skin, signifying tapas-born destiny.

Characters & Entities

• Surāṣṭra
• rājā (king)
• tāpasa muni (ascetic sage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic worldview allows for immediate, non-ordinary causation; therefore, virtue should not be judged by conventional assumptions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Surāṣṭra is referenced as a region, but no specific tīrtha-māhātmya is stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.