Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

अश्वगंधान्समाघ्राय सन्त्रस्ता मृगयूथपाः । क्षुब्धा भ्रान्ताः क्षणे तस्मिन्सर्वे यांति दिशो दश

Transliteration

aśvagaṃdhānsamāghrāya santrastā mṛgayūthapāḥ | kṣubdhā bhrāntāḥ kṣaṇe tasminsarve yāṃti diśo daśa

Translation

കുതിരകളുടെ ഗന്ധം അറിഞ്ഞതുമാത്രം മൃഗകൂട്ടങ്ങളുടെ നേതാക്കൾ ഭീതിയിലായി. കലങ്ങി വഴിതെറ്റി, ആ ക്ഷണത്തിൽ തന്നെ അവർ എല്ലാവരും പത്ത് ദിക്കുകളിലേക്കു ഓടി മറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• अश्वगन्धान्: the smell(s) of horses
• अश्वगन्धान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व-गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; समासविग्रहः: अश्वस्य गन्धः

• समाघ्राय: having smelled
• समाघ्राय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+घ्रा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund); अव्ययभावः; अर्थः: 'having smelled'

• सन्त्रस्ताः: frightened
• सन्त्रस्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+त्रस् (धातु) → सन्त्रस्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण

• मृगयूथपाः: leaders/guardians of the deer-herd
• मृगयूथपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग-यूथ-प (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासविग्रहः: मृगयूथस्य पाः (पालकाः/नेतारः)

• क्षुब्धाः: agitated
• क्षुब्धाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुभ् (धातु) → क्षुब्ध (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण

• भ्रान्ताः: confused/wandering
• भ्रान्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु) → भ्रान्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण

• क्षणे: in a moment
• क्षणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: at that (time)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• दिशः: directions
• दिशः: Karma (Goal/कर्म-गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषण; (दिशः इति स्त्रीलिङ्ग-द्वितीया-बहुवचनस्य विशेषणम्)

Speaker

Unspecified (Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest clearing in Prabhāsa: deer-leaders catch the horse-scent, startle, and scatter in all ten directions; dust and broken foliage convey sudden terror.

Characters & Entities

• aśva (horse)
• mṛgayūtha (deer herd)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fear and flight depict the fragility of embodied life, setting the stage for a dharmic revelation tied to the sanctity of the place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra in Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual prescription is present in this verse.