Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

तुष्टा कपिलवर्णां सा ऊधोभारेण भूयसा । तरंगोपरि गच्छंती शनकैः शनकैस्ततः

Transliteration

tuṣṭā kapilavarṇāṃ sā ūdhobhāreṇa bhūyasā | taraṃgopari gacchaṃtī śanakaiḥ śanakaistataḥ

Translation

അവൾ സന്തുഷ്ടയായ കപിലവർണ്ണ ഗാവ്; വലിയ അകിടഭാരത്താൽ ഭാരിതയായി, തരംഗശിഖരങ്ങളിലൂടെ പതുക്കെ പതുക്കെ നീങ്ങി।

Word by Word

• तुष्टा: pleased, satisfied
• तुष्टा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष्ट (कृदन्त; √तुष् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• कपिलवर्णाम्: of tawny color
• कपिलवर्णाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपिल + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कपिलः वर्णः यस्याः)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ऊधोभारेण: by the burden of the udder
• ऊधोभारेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊधस् + भार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (ऊधसः भारः)

• भूयसा: by a greater (weight)
• भूयसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तुलनात्मक/अधिक-भाव (comparative sense: ‘greater’)

• तरङ्गोपरि: upon the waves
• तरङ्गोपरि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तरङ्ग + उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (locative-adverbial sense)

• गच्छन्ती: going, moving
• गच्छन्ती: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गच्छत् (कृदन्त; √गम् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्) परस्मैपदी; क्रिया-विशेषणवत् (participial predicate)

• शनकैः: slowly
• शनकैः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनकैः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• शनकैः: very slowly
• शनकैः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनकैः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (reduplication for emphasis)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha/Sequence
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रयोग (sequence: ‘then/from there’)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced; Māheśvara Khaṇḍa narration to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedārakṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tawny, radiant Kāmadhenu/Surabhī moves slowly atop rippling waters, her heavy udder emphasizing abundance; the scene is calm yet miraculous, set against a Himalayan sacred-water backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Surabhī (Kāmadhenu)
• Ocean waves (taraṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Abundance and nourishment are depicted as divine powers; Surabhī symbolizes providence that supports dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within Kedāra Khaṇḍa, contributing to the broader Kedāra mahatmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive verse portraying Surabhī’s appearance and movement.