Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 131

Devanagari script

कामार्ता भ्रमता दृष्टा मृगी सिंहेन यत्नतः । तत्र संभ्रमते नित्यं सिंहश्चापि मृगी वने

Transliteration

kāmārtā bhramatā dṛṣṭā mṛgī siṃhena yatnataḥ | tatra saṃbhramate nityaṃ siṃhaścāpi mṛgī vane

Translation

അലഞ്ഞുനടന്ന കാമാർത്ത മൃഗിയെ സിംഹം ശ്രദ്ധാപൂർവം കണ്ടു. തുടർന്ന് ആ വനത്തിൽ സിംഹവും മൃഗിയിലേക്കു മനസ്സുറപ്പിച്ച് നിത്യം അലഞ്ഞു നടന്നു.

Word by Word

• कामार्ता: distressed by desire
• कामार्ता: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम-आर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—कामेन आर्ता (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• भ्रमता: while wandering / by wandering
• भ्रमता: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Instrumental/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त), तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग रूपेण ‘भ्रमता’ = ‘by/while wandering’

• दृष्टा: was seen
• दृष्टा: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मृगी: a doe
• मृगी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सिंहेन: by the lion
• सिंहेन: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• यत्नतः: carefully, with effort
• यत्नतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• संभ्रमते: becomes agitated
• संभ्रमते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; उपसर्गः—सम्

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• सिंहः: the lion
• सिंहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक (particle: also/even)

• मृगी: the doe
• मृगी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa narrative style, Sūta to the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Raivataka-giri (forest precinct)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A doe wanders restlessly, love-stricken; a lion watches with intent, then roams the forest repeatedly, his attention fixed on her—lush trees, dappled light, and a sense of circling pursuit.

Characters & Entities

• Siṃha (lion)
• Mṛgī (doe)
• Forest (Raivataka implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unchecked desire agitates the mind and drives restless action; dharma praises restraint, especially within powerful instincts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, the Prabhāsa-region sacred landscape (Vastrāpatha/Raivataka setting) where the moralized legend occurs.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse illustrates psychological and karmic dynamics rather than a rite.