Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

इति श्रुत्वा वचो राजा सारस्वतमुदैक्षत । जनो विहस्य सानन्दं सर्वं सत्यं मृगीवचः

Transliteration

iti śrutvā vaco rājā sārasvatamudaikṣata | jano vihasya sānandaṃ sarvaṃ satyaṃ mṛgīvacaḥ

Translation

ആ വാക്കുകൾ കേട്ട് രാജാവ് സാരസ്വതനെ നോക്കി. ജനങ്ങൾ ആനന്ദത്തോടെ ചിരിച്ച്—മാൻപെൺ പറഞ്ഞതെല്ലാം സത്യമെന്ന് സമ്മതിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive) — ‘having heard’

• वचः: speech/words
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सारस्वतम्: Sārasvata (person)
• सारस्वतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; (proper name/epithet)

• उदैक्षत: looked at
• उदैक्षत: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• जनः: the people
• जनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (collective: people)

• विहस्य: having laughed
• विहस्य: Kriya-viseshana (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + हस् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund) — ‘having laughed’

• सानन्दम्: joyfully
• सानन्दम्: Kriya-viseshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स-आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक; स + आनन्द)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; क्रियाविशेषण—‘with joy’

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण—(qualifying implied ‘वचः/कथनम्’)

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘true’

• मृगीवचः: the doe’s speech
• मृगीवचः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगी-वचस् (प्रातिपदिक; मृगी + वचस्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘मृग्याः वचः’ (the doe’s words)

Speaker

Narrator voice describing the scene

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King and assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, having heard the doe’s words, turns to Sārasvata for confirmation; the gathered people laugh with delighted amazement, affirming the truth of the doe’s speech.

Characters & Entities

• rājā
• Sārasvata
• jana
• mṛgī (doe)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sage-authority (ṛṣi) serves as a compass for interpreting marvels; truth is affirmed through dharmic witness and discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode remains within the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra māhātmya of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; this verse narrates public and royal response to the revelation.