Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

कमलामोदगर्भं च गर्भरूपं विना प्रिये । गर्भरूपमुखं प्रेक्ष्ये कथं कनककुडले

Transliteration

kamalāmodagarbhaṃ ca garbharūpaṃ vinā priye | garbharūpamukhaṃ prekṣye kathaṃ kanakakuḍale

Translation

«Geliebte: obgleich ich das Antlitz “Garbha-rūpa” schaue, vom Duft des Lotos erfüllt, besitze ich doch nicht die eigentliche Kindesgestalt. Wie, o Kanakakuṇḍala, werde ich je diese kindliche Form erblicken?»

Word by Word

• कमला-अमोद-गर्भम्: containing the fragrance of lotus
• कमला-अमोद-गर्भम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कमला (प्रातिपदिक) + आमोद (प्रातिपदिक) + गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘कमलाया आमोदः यस्य गर्भः’ इत्यर्थे

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

• गर्भ-रूपम्: the form of a womb/embryo
• गर्भ-रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion/वियोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: वियोग/अभाववाचक अव्यय (preposition ‘without’); द्वितीयासहचारी

• प्रिये: O dear one
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• गर्भ-रूप-मुखम्: the face of the womb-form
• गर्भ-रूप-मुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘गर्भरूपस्य मुखम्’

• प्रेक्ष्ये: shall I see / I will see
• प्रेक्ष्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्/लुट्-सम्भाव्य (future sense) आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; ‘I shall see / can I see’

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Question/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• कनक-कुडले: O golden ear-ornaments (O one with golden earrings)
• कनक-कुडले: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कनक (प्रातिपदिक) + कुण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), द्विवचन; ‘हे कनककुडले’

Speaker

Kanakakuṇḍalā (addressing her husband)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sorrowful spouse addresses the beloved ‘Kanakakuṇḍalā’, gazing at a lotus-scented face called ‘Garbha-rūpa’, lamenting the absence of the child-form; intimate interior setting with lotus perfume and soft lamplight.

Characters & Entities

• Kanakakuṇḍalā
• Garbha-rūpa (child-form motif)
• kamalā (lotus imagery)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human longing—especially for progeny—is acknowledged, and the narrative prepares to redirect that desire toward dharmic means and kṣetra-sevā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Kāśī-kṣetra, since the surrounding episode frames solutions through service to the sacred field.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not in this verse; it is an emotional appeal within the dialogue.