Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

करींदः स्वयमभ्येति तत्कुचाभौ समुद्वहन् । कुम्भौ गत्वा तु पृच्छामि यदि शंसति तां प्रियाम्

Transliteration

karīṃdaḥ svayamabhyeti tatkucābhau samudvahan | kumbhau gatvā tu pṛcchāmi yadi śaṃsati tāṃ priyām

Translation

An elephant comes forward of its own accord, bearing a pair of frontal globes like her breasts. Drawing near those ‘kumbhas,’ I ask whether it can point out my beloved.

Word by Word

• karīṃdaḥ: an elephant (bull)
• karīṃdaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karīṃda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• svayam: by himself
• svayam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्वार्थक/क्रियाविशेषण (reflexive adverb ‘oneself’)

• abhyeti: approaches
• abhyeti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi + i (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः अभि

• tat-kuca-ābhau: the two breast-like lustres/appearances of that (one)
• tat-kuca-ābhau: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + kuca (प्रातिपदिक) + ābhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), द्विवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (tasya kucayoḥ ābhā → tatkucābhā)

• samudvahan: bearing, carrying
• samudvahan: Karta (Agent qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + ud + vah (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त/Present active participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (karīṃdaḥ)

• kumbhau: the two temples (of an elephant)
• kumbhau: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), द्विवचन

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• tu: then, but
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अनुक्रम-निपात (particle ‘but/then’)

• pṛcchāmi: I ask
• pṛcchāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prach (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (conditional conjunction)

• śaṃsati: tells, reports
• śaṃsati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śaṃs (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tām: her
• tām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• priyām: beloved
• priyām: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (tām)

Speaker

Narrator (unnamed male speaker within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An elephant approaches, its frontal globes likened to the beloved’s breasts; the distraught lover steps toward it, questioning it as if it could guide him.

Characters & Entities

• Karīndra (elephant)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Delusion can project the beloved onto anything seen; spiritual discipline steadies perception and ends compulsive projection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it serves the ongoing māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.