Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

मृग्युवाच । अयुक्तं पृथिवीपाल यत्त्वयैतदनुष्ठितम् । हताऽहं बालवत्साऽद्य शरेणानतपर्वणा

Transliteration

mṛgyuvāca | ayuktaṃ pṛthivīpāla yattvayaitadanuṣṭhitam | hatā'haṃ bālavatsā'dya śareṇānataparvaṇā

Translation

นางกวางกล่าวว่า “ข้าแต่ผู้พิทักษ์แผ่นดิน การกระทำของพระองค์ไม่สมควรเลย วันนี้ข้าพเจ้าเป็นแม่มีลูกอ่อน ยังถูกศรของพระองค์ทำให้ล้มลง”

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अयुक्तम्: improper
• अयुक्तम्: Karma (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अयुक्त (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्-पूर्वक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (एतद्/कर्म)

• पृथिवीपाल: O king
• पृथिवीपाल: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवीपाल (प्रातिपदिक; पृथिवी + पाल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अनुष्ठितम्: has been done/performed
• अनुष्ठितम्: Kriyā (Predicate in passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• हता: killed
• हता: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• बालवत्सा: having a young calf
• बालवत्सा: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बालवत्स (प्रातिपदिक; बाल + वत्स)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषार्थ (बालः वत्सः यस्याः सा)

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time)

• शरेण: with an arrow
• शरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अनतपर्वणा: with an unbent-jointed (straight) arrow
• अनतपर्वणा: Karana (Instrument qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनतपर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक; अनत + पर्वन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास; विशेषण (शर)

Speaker

Mṛgī (the doe)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The doe speaks with stern clarity despite pain, addressing the king as ‘earth’s protector’; the arrow is visible; the king’s bow-hand slackens as the rebuke lands.

Characters & Entities

• pṛthivīpāla (king)
• mṛgī (doe)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power and skill do not justify harm; dharma is judged by context—especially when the helpless are harmed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha context is implicit within the Tīrthamāhātmya; this verse itself does not specify a named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse initiates a moral charge that leads to karmic consequence.