Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

कदलीस्तंभ सुव्यक्तं प्रियायाश्च सुकोमलौ । ऊरू त्वत्तोऽपि तन्वंग्याः सत्येनात्मानमालभे

Transliteration

kadalīstaṃbha suvyaktaṃ priyāyāśca sukomalau | ūrū tvatto'pi tanvaṃgyāḥ satyenātmānamālabhe

Translation

O banana-stem, clearly my beloved’s thighs—so delicate, of that slender-limbed one—are softer even than you; by this truth I touch myself in oath.

Word by Word

• कदलीस्तम्भ: O banana-stem
• कदलीस्तम्भ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कदली-स्तम्भ (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — Vocative singular; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष (कदल्याः स्तम्भः)

• सुव्यक्तम्: clearly
• सुव्यक्तम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-व्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन — Nom./Acc. singular; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbially) ‘clearly’

• प्रियायाः: of (my) beloved
• प्रियायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय — conjunction

• सुकोमलौ: very delicate/tender
• सुकोमलौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-कोमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), द्विवचन — Nominative dual; विशेषण (ऊरू)

• ऊरू: (her) two thighs
• ऊरू: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), द्विवचन — Nominative dual

• त्वत्तः: than you/from you
• त्वत्तः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी (5/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — Ablative singular (2nd person pronoun)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-कारक अव्यय — particle ‘also/even’

• तन्वङ्ग्याः: of the slender-limbed (woman)
• तन्वङ्ग्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु-अङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive singular; बहुव्रीहि (तन्वङ्गी = ‘having slender limbs’)

• सत्येन: by truth / truly
• सत्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; शपथार्थे (as oath)

• आत्मानम्: myself
• आत्मानम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• आलभे: I touch/embrace (I swear)
• आलभे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present indicative 1st sg; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

A lovelorn husband/lover (narrative voice within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A banana grove in a sacred forest; the speaker compares the banana stem’s softness to his beloved’s thighs, then touches his chest/arm in a solemn truth-affirmation, eyes moist with longing.

Characters & Entities

• kadalī (banana plant)
• satya (truth/oath)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Satya (truth) is invoked as a solemn validating force; Purāṇic dharma repeatedly treats truthfulness as a binding moral power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No pilgrimage-rite is stated, but an oath-like gesture/idiom (“by truth…”) appears as a dharmic emphasis on satya.