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
وہ مُنی کا بیٹا روزانہ کم عمر ہرنوں کے ساتھ کھیلتا رہتا تھا؛ مگر ایک بار تقدیر کے الٹ پھیر سے رِکشَشِرِنگ—وہ—موت کو پہنچ گیا۔
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.