Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

कांतायाः पुरतो नित्यं विधत्तेंऽगं कलापकृत् । विहंगयोनि जातोऽपि वृद्ध्यर्थं पुष्पधन्वनः

Transliteration

kāṃtāyāḥ purato nityaṃ vidhatteṃ'gaṃ kalāpakṛt | vihaṃgayoni jāto'pi vṛddhyarthaṃ puṣpadhanvanaḥ

Translation

Always, before his beloved, the peacock displays his body; though born among birds, he does so for the increase of the Flower-bowed One (Kāma).

Word by Word

• कान्तायाः: of the beloved
• कान्तायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कान्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• पुरतः: in front (of)
• पुरतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/सम्बन्धवाचक अव्यय — ‘in front of’ (postposition-like)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal adverb/कालवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (नित्यं) — adverb ‘always’

• विधत्ते: arranges/puts on
• विधत्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-धा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present indicative 3rd sg; आत्मनेपद

• अङ्गम्: the body/limb
• अङ्गम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• कलापकृत्: the maker of a plume (peacock)
• कलापकृत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलाप-कृत् (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular; तत्पुरुष (कलापं करोति)

• विहङ्गयोनि: in a bird-womb/as a bird species
• विहङ्गयोनि: Adhikarana (State/स्थान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विहङ्ग-योनि (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular; तत्पुरुष (विहङ्गस्य योनिः)

• जातः: born
• जातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘born’

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

• वृद्ध्यर्थम्: for (her) increase/prosperity
• वृद्ध्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृद्धि-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative used adverbially; तत्पुरुष (वृद्ध्यर्थम् = ‘for the sake of growth/prosperity’)

• पुष्पधन्वनः: of the flower-bowed one (Kāma)
• पुष्पधन्वनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प-धन्वन् (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive singular; तत्पुरुष (पुष्पं धनुः यस्य) (कामदेवस्य)

Speaker

Narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya (didactic observation in the story)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A peacock fans its iridescent tail and dances before a peahen; the speaker interprets it as serving Kāma (Flower-bowed One), with spring blossoms and gentle rain-cloud hues behind.

Characters & Entities

• kalāpa-kṛt (peacock)
• Puṣpadhanvan (Kāma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It observes how attraction and desire (Kāma) drive behavior in nature; Purāṇic dharma often urges awareness and restraint over such impulses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.