Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

नूपुरारावसोत्कंठ केकिकेकारवाकुलम् । कूजत्पारावत कुलं गुरुसारीकथावरम्

Transliteration

nūpurārāvasotkaṃṭha kekikekāravākulam | kūjatpārāvata kulaṃ gurusārīkathāvaram

Translation

It longs with the jingling of nūpura-anklets; it is filled with the cries of peacocks; there are cooing flocks of pigeons, and the charming, weighty talk of mynah birds.

Word by Word

• नूपुर: anklet
• नूपुर: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषणाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नूपुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (anklet); समासाङ्ग

• आराव: sound, clamor
• आराव: Hetu/Stimulus (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आराव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (cry/sound); समासः—नूपुर-आराव (तत्पुरुषः: ‘sound of anklets’)

• उत्कण्ठ: eager, longing
• उत्कण्ठ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—नूपुराराव-उत्कण्ठ (तत्पुरुषः: ‘eager because of anklet-sounds’)

• केकि: peacock
• केकि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषणाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केकि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (peacock); समासाङ्ग

• केकारव: peacock-cries
• केकारव: Instrument/Means (Karana/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केकारव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (peacock-cry); समासः—केकि-केकारव (तत्पुरुषः: ‘cry of peacocks’)

• आकुलम्: filled with, noisy with
• आकुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—केकिकेकारव-आकुल (तत्पुरुषः: ‘filled/confused with peacock-cries’)

• कूजत्: cooing, chirping
• कूजत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कूज् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with ‘कुलम्’ as qualifier in compound); समासाङ्ग

• पारावत: pigeon, dove
• पारावत: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पारावत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (pigeon/dove); समासः—कूजत्-पारावत (तत्पुरुषः: ‘cooing pigeons’)

• कुलम्: flock, group
• कुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कूजत्पारावत-कुल (तत्पुरुषः: ‘a flock of cooing pigeons’)

• गुरु: deep, heavy
• गुरु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषणाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग

• सारी: myna bird
• सारी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषणाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारी/शारिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (myna bird); समासाङ्ग

• कथा: speech, talk
• कथा: Instrument/Means (Karana/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (speech/tale); समासाङ्ग

• वरम्: excellent, delightful
• वरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—गुरु-सारी-कथा-वर (तत्पुरुषः: ‘excellent with deep myna-talk’)

Speaker

Pūrṇabhadra (within Skanda’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A courtyard-garden near a mandapa: devotees’ anklets chime; peacocks call; pigeons coo on ledges; mynah birds perch and ‘speak’ with charming gravity—an animated, auspicious tableau.

Characters & Entities

• Pūrṇabhadra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse completes the sensory portrait of luxury, preparing the moral contrast: even a ‘perfect’ environment cannot substitute for deeper auspicious fulfilment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named; the larger Kāśīkhaṇḍa framework is the glorification of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.