Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11
पुलस्त्य उवाच । तच्छ्रुत्वा सुमहत्पापं स नृपो भयसंकुलम् । तां वै प्रसादयामास प्राणशेषां तदा मृगीम्
pulastya uvāca | tacchrutvā sumahatpāpaṃ sa nṛpo bhayasaṃkulam | tāṃ vai prasādayāmāsa prāṇaśeṣāṃ tadā mṛgīm
Pulastya nói: “Nghe những lời ấy—chất chứa tội lỗi nặng nề—nhà vua kinh hãi bủa vây, liền tìm cách làm nguôi lòng và cầu xin tha thứ nơi con nai cái chỉ còn thoi thóp hơi tàn.”
Pulastya
Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (contextual)
Type: kshetra
Scene: Sage Pulastya narrates; the king, trembling, kneels or lowers his bow, hands folded, trying to appease the dying doe; the forest is hushed as life ebbs away.
FAQs
Recognition of sin should lead to humility and seeking appeasement; fear arises when conscience awakens to adharma.
Arbuda’s sacred region remains the narrative setting, underscoring that sacred geography heightens moral accountability.
Not a formal ritual; the act is prasādana—seeking appeasement/forgiveness to mitigate the curse’s force.