Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

इत्यन्योन्यं पणीकृत्य सर्पिण्यपि पतत्त्रिणी । उवाच कर्बुरं कद्रूरश्वं श्वेतं गरुत्मती

Transliteration

ityanyonyaṃ paṇīkṛtya sarpiṇyapi patattriṇī | uvāca karburaṃ kadrūraśvaṃ śvetaṃ garutmatī

Translation

So schlossen sie miteinander eine Wette: Kadrū — Mutter der Schlangen — und Vinatā — Mutter des Geflügelten (Garuḍa) — sprachen über das Pferd; Kadrū erklärte es für dunkel und gesprenkelt, Vinatā aber behauptete, es sei weiß.

Word by Word

• इति: thus; saying “…”
• इति: Sambandha (quotative/iti)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative particle)

• अन्योन्यम्: each other; mutually
• अन्योन्यम्: Karma (object/reciprocal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य + अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् परस्परार्थे (mutually)

• पणी-कृत्य: having made a wager
• पणी-कृत्य: Kriya-viseshana (gerundial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पणि (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); कृ-धातोः ‘कृत्य’ रूपम्; अर्थः—पणं कृत्वा (having made a wager)

• सर्पिणी: (she) Kadrū (the serpent-mother)
• सर्पिणी: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्पिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ (also/even)

• पतत्त्रिणी: (she) Vinatā (mother of birds)
• पतत्त्रिणी: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतत्त्रिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कर्बुरम्: spotted; variegated
• कर्बुरम्: Karma (object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्बुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• कद्रू-अश्वम्: Kadrū’s horse
• कद्रू-अश्वम्: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कद्रू (प्रातिपदिक) + अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कद्रोः अश्वः)

• श्वेतम्: white
• श्वेतम्: Karma (object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• गरुत्मती: Vinatā (Garutmān’s mother)
• गरुत्मती: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुत्मती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda, in Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two divine mothers—Kadrū and Vinatā—face each other in debate, gesturing toward the celestial horse Uccaiḥśravas; the moment is tense yet courtly, with the wager sealing destiny.

Characters & Entities

• Kadrū
• Vinatā
• Garuḍa
• Uccaiḥśravas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It introduces a dharma-testing wager where truthfulness versus manipulation becomes the core moral theme.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse itself is narrative; the broader frame is Kāśī-khaṇḍa, where such episodes support the sacred authority of Kāśī’s teaching tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a setup for the ensuing ethical conflict.