Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

गोयुगेन हि ग्रीवायां लम्बमानेन भूपते । तद्दृष्ट्वा सुमहाश्चर्यं विनाशं गोयुगस्य तु

Transliteration

goyugena hi grīvāyāṃ lambamānena bhūpate | taddṛṣṭvā sumahāścaryaṃ vināśaṃ goyugasya tu

Translation

भूपते, ग्रीवायां लम्बमानं गोयुगं दृष्ट्वा तस्य सुमहदाश्चर्यं गोयुगविनाशं च ददर्श।

Word by Word

• गोयुगेन: by/with the pair of cattle
• गोयुगेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो-युग (प्रातिपदिक; गो + युग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse marker (Nipata/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) = emphatic particle

• ग्रीवायाम्: on the neck
• ग्रीवायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रीवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• लम्बमानेन: hanging
• लम्बमानेन: Karana (Instrument qualifier/करणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लम्ब् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (शानच्/वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग तृतीया, एकवचन; here agreeing with गोयुगेन (instrumental): 'while hanging'

• भूपते: O king
• भूपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; (object of seeing)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा), अव्यय; 'having seen'

• सुमहाश्चर्यम्: a very great wonder
• सुमहाश्चर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-महा-आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक; सु + महा + आश्चर्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सु-महद् आश्चर्यम्)

• विनाशम्: destruction
• विनाशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• गोयुगस्य: of the pair of cattle
• गोयुगस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो-युग (प्रातिपदिक; गो + युग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse marker (Nipata/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) = adversative/emphatic particle

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking in Purāṇic narration (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: bhūpati / nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A rural path where a yoke-pair of cattle hangs from a man’s neck; onlookers freeze in astonishment as the animals perish, foreshadowing renunciation.

Characters & Entities

• Go-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It points to the fragility of possessions and how shock can awaken vairāgya (dispassion).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative is part of the Piṇḍāraka tīrtha māhātmya within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is narrative and psychological in focus.