Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा मृगी प्राणान्सा मुमोच व्यथान्विता । कुष्ठव्याधिसमायुक्तः सोऽपि राजा बभूव ह

Transliteration

evamuktvā mṛgī prāṇānsā mumoca vyathānvitā | kuṣṭhavyādhisamāyuktaḥ so'pi rājā babhūva ha

Translation

ఇలా చెప్పి బాధతో తల్లడిల్లిన ఆ మృగి ప్రాణాలను విడిచింది; ఆ రాజు కూడా నిజంగా కుష్ఠవ్యాధితో బాధితుడయ్యాడు।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘एवं/thus’

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त/absolutive)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund): ‘having said’

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

• प्राणान्: life-breaths; life
• प्राणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (सर्वनाम/pronoun)

• मुमोच: released; gave up
• मुमोच: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• व्यथा-अन्विता: afflicted with pain
• व्यथा-अन्विता: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यथा (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘व्यथया अन्विता’ (endowed with pain)

• कुष्ठ-व्याधि-समायुक्तः: afflicted with leprosy-disease
• कुष्ठ-व्याधि-समायुक्तः: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक) + समायुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘कुष्ठव्याधिना समायुक्तः’ (associated with leprosy-disease)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (सर्वनाम/pronoun)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle): ‘also/even’

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

• बभूव: became
• बभूव: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed
• ह: Discourse particle (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle), पदपूरण/अनुस्मारक—emphatic ‘indeed’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wounded doe, speaking her last words, collapses and releases her life-breath; nearby the king’s skin shows the marks of kuṣṭha as the karmic consequence unfolds, with attendants and forest stillness around.

Characters & Entities

• mṛgī (doe)
• rājā (king)
• kuṣṭha (leprosy)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma yields immediate fruit; suffering is portrayed as the moral echo of cruelty, urging repentance and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse does not name a specific tīrtha; it concludes the curse episode that typically motivates seeking a holy ford for relief.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it narrates the outcome (death of the doe and the king’s affliction).