Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

तत्रस्था ववृधे सा च नाम्ना ख्याता मृगावती । शुक्लपक्षे यथा व्योम्नि कलेव शशलक्ष्मणः

Transliteration

tatrasthā vavṛdhe sā ca nāmnā khyātā mṛgāvatī | śuklapakṣe yathā vyomni kaleva śaśalakṣmaṇaḥ

Translation

เมื่อพำนักอยู่ ณ ที่นั้น นางก็เจริญวัยและเป็นที่รู้จักด้วยนามว่า “มฤคาวตี” ดุจเสี้ยวจันทร์ที่ค่อย ๆ เพิ่มพูนในปักษ์สว่างบนท้องนภา

Word by Word

• तत्रस्था: standing/remaining there
• तत्रस्था: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय) + स्था (√स्था धातु) → तत्रस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (fem. nom. sg.)

• ववृधे: grew, increased
• ववृधे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृध् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ख्याता: known, famed
• ख्याता: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय) → ख्यात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• मृगावती: Mṛgāvatī (name)
• मृगावती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग + वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

• शुक्लपक्षे: in the bright fortnight
• शुक्लपक्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; शुक्लस्य पक्षः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative adverb)

• व्योम्नि: in the sky
• व्योम्नि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्योमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• कले: in the digit/phase
• कले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• इव: like, as if
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-निपात (particle of comparison)

• शशलक्ष्मणः: of the moon-mark (mark of the hare i.e., the moon)
• शशलक्ष्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शश (प्रातिपदिक) + लक्ष्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; शशस्य लक्ष्म इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic storyteller; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A pilgrim-inquirer/ṛṣi audience typical of Skanda tīrtha dialogues (not explicit here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young maiden Mṛgāvatī growing in grace, framed by a bright-fortnight moon waxing in a clear sky; emphasis on serenity and auspiciousness.

Characters & Entities

• Mṛgāvatī
• Moon (śaśin)
• Śuklapakṣa (bright fortnight)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous care allows virtue and beauty to flourish naturally, just as the moon waxes under favorable conditions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha setting is implicit; the verse primarily marks the heroine’s growth within the hermitage environment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive and poetic.