Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

एवं संभाष्य तं वत्समवलिह्य मुहुर्मुहुः । शोकेन महताविष्टा बाष्पव्याकुललोचना

Transliteration

evaṃ saṃbhāṣya taṃ vatsamavalihya muhurmuhuḥ | śokena mahatāviṣṭā bāṣpavyākulalocanā

Translation

So sprach sie und leckte ihr Kalb immer wieder. Von großem Kummer überwältigt, waren ihre Augen von Tränen getrübt.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘एवं/thus’

• संभाष्य: having spoken (to)
• संभाष्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-भाष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having spoken/after addressing’

• तम्: him/that (one)
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• वत्सम्: calf
• वत्सम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vatsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• अवलिह्य: having licked
• अवलिह्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-√lih (लिह्) (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund): ‘having licked’

• मुहुःमुहुः: again and again
• मुहुःमुहुः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: muhuḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरुक्ति-क्रियाविशेषण/adverbial reduplication): ‘again and again’

• शोकेन: with/through grief
• शोकेन: Karaṇa/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śoka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• महतā: great
• महतā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-समर्थ (here agreeing with ‘śoka’), तृतीया, एकवचन (Instrumental Singular): ‘great’

• आविष्टा: overcome (by)
• आविष्टा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√viś (विश्) (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन: ‘entered/overcome’

• बाष्पव्याकुललोचना: having eyes disturbed by tears
• बाष्पव्याकुललोचना: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of subject/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāṣpa (प्रातिपदिक) + vyākula (प्रातिपदिक) + locanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/उपपद-भाव): ‘बाष्पेण व्याकुलानि लोचनानि यस्याः/whose eyes are troubled by tears’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottama (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mother-cow bends over her calf, licking it repeatedly; her eyes brim with tears, body tense with grief; forest-edge or pasture setting implied.

Characters & Entities

• Nandinī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas teach dharma through emotion and relationship—compassion and responsibility are shown as sacred qualities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this line; it is narrative context within the Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive, emphasizing pathos and moral atmosphere.