Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच । साऽनुज्ञाता मृगेन्द्रेण कपिला पुत्रवत्सला । अश्रुपूर्णमुखी दीना प्रस्थिता गोकुलं प्रति

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca | sā'nujñātā mṛgendreṇa kapilā putravatsalā | aśrupūrṇamukhī dīnā prasthitā gokulaṃ prati

Translation

普拉斯提耶说道：既蒙兽中王允准，慈爱其子如命的迦毗罗，满面泪痕，凄楚困顿，遂启程向戈库拉而去。

Word by Word

• pulastyaḥ: Pulastya
• pulastyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pulastya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Perfect, 3rd person, Singular

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Pronoun, Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• anujñātā: having been permitted
• anujñātā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu-√jñā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Past passive participle, Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• mṛgendreṇa: by the lord of beasts (lion)
• mṛgendreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛga (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मृगाणाम् इन्द्रः)

• kapilā: Kapilā
• kapilā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapilā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• putravatsalā: affectionate to her son
• putravatsalā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक) + vatsala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पुत्रस्य वत्सला)

• aśru-pūrṇa-mukhī: with a face full of tears
• aśru-pūrṇa-mukhī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aśru (प्रातिपदिक) + pūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular; तत्पुरुष (अश्रुभिः पूर्णं मुखं यस्याः/यस्या)

• dīnā: wretched, distressed
• dīnā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• prasthitā: departed, set out
• prasthitā: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भूतकृदन्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Past participle, Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• gokulam: cowherd settlement (Gokula)
• gokulam: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gokula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• prati: towards
• prati: Sampradana/Disha (Direction/दिशा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय, दिशावाचक — Preposition/indeclinable ‘towards’

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gokula (invoked)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kapilā, permitted to leave by the ‘lord of beasts’, departs toward Gokula with tear-filled face, head lowered, body tense, conveying maternal urgency.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Kapilā
• Mṛgendra (tiger)
• Gokula

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is tested in sorrow; steadfastness continues even when the heart is overwhelmed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda’s sacred narrative environment frames the moral trial, contributing to the region’s māhātmya through lived dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes inner discipline—truthfulness and duty amid grief.