Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

प्रायो मृतो मृतप्रायः शेषोऽभूद्धरणीतले । नष्टा अरण्यजा ग्राम्याः पशवः पक्षिणो मृगाः

Transliteration

prāyo mṛto mṛtaprāyaḥ śeṣo'bhūddharaṇītale | naṣṭā araṇyajā grāmyāḥ paśavaḥ pakṣiṇo mṛgāḥ

Translation

ପୃଥିବୀରେ ଯେଉଁମାନେ ବାକି ରହିଥିଲେ, ସେମାନେ ପ୍ରାୟ ମୃତ କିମ୍ବା ମୃତତୁଲ୍ୟ ହୋଇଯାଇଥିଲେ । ବନ ଏବଂ ଗ୍ରାମରେ ରହୁଥିବା ପଶୁ, ପକ୍ଷୀ ଏବଂ ମୃଗ ସବୁ ନଷ୍ଟ ହୋଇଯାଇଥିଲେ ।

Word by Word

• प्रायः: mostly, generally
• प्रायः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रायस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘प्रायः’ = प्रायः/अधिकांशतः (mostly, generally)

• मृतः: dead
• मृतः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त; √मृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकाले कृदन्त (past participle): ‘dead’

• मृतप्रायः: almost dead
• मृतप्रायः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त) + प्राय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास: ‘मृत इव प्रायः’ (almost dead)

• शेषः: the remainder, what was left
• शेषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अभूत्: became, was
• अभूत्: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist/अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• धरणीतले: on the earth’s surface
• धरणीतले: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/संबन्ध): ‘धरण्याः तलम्’ = on the surface of the earth

• नष्टाः: perished, were destroyed
• नष्टाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नष्ट (कृदन्त; √नश् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (perished)

• अरण्यजाः: forest-born, wild
• अरण्यजाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक ‘born’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘अरण्ये जाताः’ (born in the forest)

• ग्राम्याः: domestic
• ग्राम्याः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्राम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘domestic/village’

• पशवः: animals, cattle
• पशवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• पक्षिणः: birds
• पक्षिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• मृगाः: deer, wild animals
• मृगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Pulastya (narrative continuation)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yayāti

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A silent earth: carcasses of cattle and birds, empty villages, forest stillness; a few survivors moving like shadows; the sky pale and pitiless.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharmic balance collapses, suffering spreads across all beings, underscoring the need for sacred remedies and right conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named here; it supports the larger Agni-tīrtha māhātmya by describing the calamity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive narration of the famine’s severity.