Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

वृद्धत्वेन परित्यक्ता दिव्यमाल्यानुलेपना । पीनोन्नतकुचाभोगा प्रमत्तगजगामिनी

Transliteration

vṛddhatvena parityaktā divyamālyānulepanā | pīnonnatakucābhogā pramattagajagāminī

Translation

Elle, jadis rejetée à cause de la vieillesse, portait désormais des guirlandes divines et des onguents sacrés ; la poitrine pleine et haute, elle avançait avec l’allure gracieuse d’un éléphant fier.

Word by Word

• वृद्धत्वेन: due to old age
• वृद्धत्वेन: Karana (Cause/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛddhatva (वृद्धत्व-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; हेतौ/करणे (by reason of/with)

• परित्यक्ता: abandoned, cast off
• परित्यक्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari√tyaj (त्यज् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (describing the woman)

• दिव्यमाल्यानुलेपना: adorned with divine garlands and unguents
• दिव्यमाल्यानुलेपना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (दिव्य) + mālya (माल्य) + anulepana (अनुलेपन)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (दिव्यानि माल्यानि च अनुलेपनं च यस्याः/या)

• पीनोन्नतकुचाभोगा: having full, uplifted breasts
• पीनोन्नतकुचाभोगा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pīna (पीन) + unnata (उन्नत) + kuca (कुच) + ābhoga (आभोग)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (पीन-उन्नत-कुचानां आभोगः यस्याः)

• प्रमत्तगजगामिनी: moving like an intoxicated elephant
• प्रमत्तगजगामिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pramatta (प्रमत्त) + gaja (गज) + gāminī (गामिनी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (प्रमत्तस्य गजस्य इव गमनं यस्याः)

Speaker

Sūta (continuation of Sūta’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A transformed woman stands radiant: divine garlands and sandal paste, full youthful form, confident posture; her gait likened to a proud elephant—graceful, powerful, and majestic.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess’s anugraha restores auspiciousness and honor, reversing misfortune and decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is part of the origin-glory account of Śarmiṣṭhātīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is descriptive praise supporting the tīrtha’s sanctifying backstory.