Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17
क्रीडन्बालमृगैः सार्द्धं प्रत्यहं स मुनेः सुतः । कदाचिद्दैवयोगेन ऋक्षशृङ्गो ममार सः
krīḍanbālamṛgaiḥ sārddhaṃ pratyahaṃ sa muneḥ sutaḥ | kadāciddaivayogena ṛkṣaśṛṅgo mamāra saḥ
บุตรแห่งมุนีนั้นเล่นกับลูกกวางทุกวัน; แต่ครั้งหนึ่งด้วยอำนาจแห่งโชคชะตา ฤกษศฤงคะ—ผู้นั้น—ถึงกาลมรณา
Īśvara (Śiva) (deduced from immediate narrative context in Revā Khaṇḍa)
Scene: A poignant forest scene: a youthful figure associated with Ṛkṣaśṛṅga amid playful fawns; the moment turns tragic as he collapses, with the herd startled; the forest and ravines loom, emphasizing the suddenness of fate.
FAQs
Even the virtuous are subject to impermanence; purāṇic narratives use such turns to point toward dharma, detachment, and higher refuge.
The Mandāraka forest setting within Revā Khaṇḍa, where the pivotal event occurs.
None in this verse; it introduces a narrative crisis that typically leads to later prescriptions or tīrtha benefits.