Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

वारणोऽयं प्रियां कांतामनुरागानुयायिनीम् । स्पर्शयत्यग्रहस्तेन मम संस्मारयन्प्रियाम

Transliteration

vāraṇo'yaṃ priyāṃ kāṃtāmanurāgānuyāyinīm | sparśayatyagrahastena mama saṃsmārayanpriyāma

Translation

Dieser Elefant berührt mit der Spitze seines Rüssels seine Geliebte, die teure Gefährtin, die ihm aus Zuneigung folgt, und lässt mich meiner eigenen Geliebten gedenken.

Word by Word

• वारणः: elephant
• वारणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रियाम्: beloved (woman)
• प्रियाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कान्ताम्: beloved, dear one
• कान्ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāntā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रियाम् इति समानाधिकरण (appositional)

• अनुरागानुयायिनीम्: one who follows out of affection
• अनुरागानुयायिनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anurāga + anu-yāyinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अनुरागस्य अनुयायिनी)

• स्पर्शयति: touches
• स्पर्शयति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sparś (धातु, णिजन्त causative)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अग्रहस्तेन: with the fore-hand/trunk-tip
• अग्रहस्तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agra-hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (अग्रः हस्तः/अग्रे स्थितः हस्तः)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• संस्मारयन्: causing (me) to remember
• संस्मारयन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-smṛ (धातु, णिजन्त causative)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• प्रियाम्: beloved (woman)
• प्रियाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrated in Sūta’s discourse (a lamenting man within the story-episode)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A male elephant gently reaches with his trunk to touch a female elephant walking close behind; the narrator stands nearby, eyes moist, remembering his own beloved.

Characters & Entities

• Elephant (vāraṇa)
• Beloved (priyā/kāntā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Affection in nature triggers human longing; the verse subtly points to mastering attachment and turning remembrance toward higher devotion within a sacred setting.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse does not name a tīrtha; it is embedded in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative that frames the sanctity of the region overall.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.