Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

शिखायां बद्धरुद्राक्षः कुक्कुटः कपिना सह । चिरं नृत्यति नृत्यज्ञः पश्यतां चित्रमावहन्

Transliteration

śikhāyāṃ baddharudrākṣaḥ kukkuṭaḥ kapinā saha | ciraṃ nṛtyati nṛtyajñaḥ paśyatāṃ citramāvahan

Translation

髷にルドラークシャの珠を結びつけた、舞に通じた雄鶏は、猿とともに久しく舞い、見物人に妙なる見世物をもたらした。

Word by Word

• śikhāyām: on the topknot/crest
• śikhāyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śikhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case, locative), एकवचन

• baddha-rudrākṣaḥ: having rudrākṣa beads tied (on)
• baddha-rudrākṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: baddha (बन्ध् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त) + rudrākṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (बद्धः rudrākṣaḥ यस्य)

• kukkuṭaḥ: the rooster
• kukkuṭaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kukkuṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kapinā: with the monkey
• kapinā: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (instrumental), एकवचन

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक उपपद (postposition meaning ‘with’)

• ciram: for a long time
• ciram: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावप्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय; कालपरिमाणवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of duration)

• nṛtyati: dances
• nṛtyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nṛt (नृत् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• nṛtyajñaḥ: skilled in dancing
• nṛtyajñaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nṛtya (प्रातिपदिक) + jña (ज्ञा धातु से निष्पन्न ‘ज्ञ’; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नृत्ये ज्ञः = नृत्यविद्)

• paśyatām: of the onlookers; of those watching
• paśyatām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paśyant (पश् धातु, शतृ-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (genitive) बहुवचन; वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (‘of those who are watching’)

• citram: a wonder; something striking
• citram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन

• āvahan: bringing about; producing
• āvahan: Kriya-visheshana (Participial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√vah (वह् धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; प्रथमा, पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन (present participle)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, unspecified in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A rooster with a rudrākṣa tied to its topknot dances expertly alongside the monkey, holding the crowd’s gaze with an amusing, almost ritual-costumed performance.

Characters & Entities

• rudrākṣa
• kukkuṭa (rooster)
• kapi/markaṭa (monkey)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse paints a vivid worldly scene while subtly foregrounding rudrākṣa as a devotional sign associated with Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is identified in this verse; the focus is narrative description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes adornment and entertainment rather than prescribing a vrata or rite.