Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

मृगयूथे स्थितं दृष्ट्वा गोवत्सं तत्पदातिना । उक्तो राजा मया दृष्टं कौतुकं नृपसत्तम

Transliteration

mṛgayūthe sthitaṃ dṛṣṭvā govatsaṃ tatpadātinā | ukto rājā mayā dṛṣṭaṃ kautukaṃ nṛpasattama

Translation

മാൻകൂട്ടത്തിന്റെ നടുവിൽ നിൽക്കുന്ന ഗോവത്സത്തെ കണ്ട ആ പദാതി രാജാവിനോട് പറഞ്ഞു— “ഹേ നൃപശ്രേഷ്ഠാ, ഞാൻ ഒരു അത്ഭുത കൗതുകം കണ്ടു।”

Word by Word

• मृगयूथे: in the herd of deer
• मृगयूथे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग-यूथ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (अधिकरणे/Locative), एकवचन; मृगाणां यूथम् इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• स्थितम्: standing/placed
• स्थितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि/स्थितम् = 'standing/placed'

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Absolutive/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund), पूर्वकाल क्रिया

• गोवत्सम्: the calf
• गोवत्सम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोवत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्पदातिना: by that foot-soldier
• तत्पदातिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पदाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (करणे/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्-शब्दः विशेषणरूपेण

• उक्तः: was addressed/told
• उक्तः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे 'was told/was addressed'

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karma (Patient in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दृष्टम्: seen
• दृष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'seen' (उक्ते वाक्ये कर्म)

• कौतुकम्: a wonder/curiosity
• कौतुकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; नृपाणां सत्तमः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

Speaker

Sūta (narration; dialogue reported)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A foot-soldier in a forest clearing points out a lone calf standing calmly amid a clustered herd of deer; the king listens, intrigued, with attendants behind.

Characters & Entities

• Balāhaka (king)
• Padāti (foot-soldier)
• Govatsa (calf)
• Mṛga-yūtha (herd of deer)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred often announces itself through the extraordinary, drawing attention toward a hidden tīrtha and divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The developing account is leading toward Govatsa-tīrtha in Dharmāraṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates an auspicious anomaly that prompts the king to investigate.