Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

बलाध्यक्षेण विधृता मृगैः सह शनैर्नृपः । ददर्श महदाश्चर्यं भोजराजो जनैर्वृतः

Transliteration

balādhyakṣeṇa vidhṛtā mṛgaiḥ saha śanairnṛpaḥ | dadarśa mahadāścaryaṃ bhojarājo janairvṛtaḥ

Translation

సేనాధిపతి ఆపగా, జింకలతో కలిసి పట్టుబడిన స్థితిలో, ప్రజలతో చుట్టుముట్టబడిన భోజరాజు నెమ్మదిగా ఒక మహద్ఆశ్చర్యాన్ని చూశాడు.

Word by Word

• बलाध्यक्षेण: by the commander/overseer of the troops
• बलाध्यक्षेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल-अध्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासविग्रहः: बलस्य अध्यक्षः

• विधृता: held/caught
• विधृता: Kriya (Result state/क्रियाफल)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि+धृ (धातु) → विधृत (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; (स्त्रीलिङ्गे 'सा नारी' इत्यादि अन्वयः)

• मृगैः: with deer
• मृगैः: Sahakari (Associate/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक

• शनैः: slowly
• शनैः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनैः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (slowly/gradually)

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

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• आश्चर्यम्: wonder
• आश्चर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• भोजराजः: King Bhoja
• भोजराजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोज-राज (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: भोजः एव राजा

• जनैः: by/with people
• जनैः: Sahakari (Associate/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• वृतः: surrounded
• वृतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृ (धातु) → वृत (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; (भोजराजः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

Speaker

Unspecified (Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhojarāja, held back by his commander, stands amid soldiers and townsfolk; in the foreground the captured deer and the unconscious deer-faced woman; the king’s face shows astonishment.

Characters & Entities

• Bhojarāja
• balādhyakṣa (army commander)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The ‘great wonder’ motif signals that sacred places teach through astonishment, turning attention from power to pilgrimage-minded inquiry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra in Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.