Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 129

Devanagari script

कोशकारमिवात्मानं वेष्टयन्नावबुध्यते

Transliteration

kośakāramivātmānaṃ veṣṭayannāvabudhyate

Translation

Tel le ver à soie qui s’enveloppe dans son cocon, il s’enveloppe lui-même et ne comprend pas son propre Ātman, le Soi véritable.

Word by Word

• कोशकारम्: the cocoon-maker (silkworm)
• कोशकारम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोशकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• इव: like/as
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• आत्मानम्: oneself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वेष्टयन्: wrapping/enveloping
• वेष्टयन्: Karta (Agent participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वेष्ट् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-भावे (concomitant action)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अवबुध्यते: understands/realizes
• अवबुध्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-√बुध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within tīrtha-māhātmya teaching)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary figure sits curled within a translucent cocoon of threads labeled by suggestion—desire, fear, pride—while a faint inner light (ātman) remains unseen; outside, a sage points toward the heart-lotus.

Characters & Entities

• ātman
• kośakāra (silkworm)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Attachment and self-created entanglement veil true self-knowledge; liberation begins with recognizing this bondage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a general dharmic/adhyātmic maxim within the māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse is a metaphorical instruction aimed at inner awakening rather than an external rite.