Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तत्रैका गौः परिभ्रष्टा स्वयूथात्तृणतृष्णया । कपिलेति च विख्याता स्वयूथस्याग्रगामिनी

Transliteration

tatraikā gauḥ paribhraṣṭā svayūthāttṛṇatṛṣṇayā | kapileti ca vikhyātā svayūthasyāgragāminī

Translation

ที่นั่นมีโคตัวหนึ่งหลงจากฝูงของตน เพราะหิวหญ้าและกระหายน้ำ นางเป็นที่รู้จักนามว่า ‘กปิลา’ และเป็นผู้นำหน้าฝูงของตน

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक अव्यय/adverb of place)

• एका: one
• एका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• गौः: cow
• गौः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• परिभ्रष्टा: strayed away, fallen off
• परिभ्रष्टा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-भ्रंश् (धातु) → परिभ्रष्ट (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• स्वयूथात्: from her own herd
• स्वयूथात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-यूथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य यूथम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• तृणतृष्णया: due to craving for grass
• तृणतृष्णया: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण-तृष्णा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (तृणस्य तृष्णा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• कपिला: Kapilā (name)
• कपिला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/and)

• विख्याता: well-known, renowned
• विख्याता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-ख्या (धातु) → विख्यात (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• स्वयूथस्य: of her own herd
• स्वयूथस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-यूथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य यूथम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• अग्रगामिनी: going in front, leader
• अग्रगामिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्र-गामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (अग्रे गच्छति); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-parvata (Kapilā-nimitta spot; unnamed here)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (addressed as 'O king')

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kapilā, the foremost cow, separates from the herd, moving toward greener patches and the promise of water; gopas notice her absence as the herd mills anxiously on the slope.

Characters & Entities

• Kapilā (cow)
• herd (yūtha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the strong and leading can become vulnerable; dharma is tested when the helpless are separated from their community.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda region’s sacred setting underlies the episode; this verse introduces Kapilā rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.