Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

वारणोऽयं प्रियां कांतामनुरागानुयायिनीम् । स्पर्शयत्यग्रहस्तेन मम संस्मारयन्प्रियाम

Transliteration

vāraṇo'yaṃ priyāṃ kāṃtāmanurāgānuyāyinīm | sparśayatyagrahastena mama saṃsmārayanpriyāma

Translation

ഈ ആന സ്നേഹത്തോടെ പിന്തുടരുന്ന തന്റെ പ്രിയ കാന്തയെ തുമ്പിക്കൈയുടെ അഗ്രത്തോടെ സ്പർശിക്കുന്നു—അത് എനിക്ക് എന്റെ പ്രിയയെ ഓർമിപ്പിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• वारणः: elephant
• वारणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रियाम्: beloved (woman)
• प्रियाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कान्ताम्: beloved, dear one
• कान्ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāntā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रियाम् इति समानाधिकरण (appositional)

• अनुरागानुयायिनीम्: one who follows out of affection
• अनुरागानुयायिनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anurāga + anu-yāyinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अनुरागस्य अनुयायिनी)

• स्पर्शयति: touches
• स्पर्शयति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sparś (धातु, णिजन्त causative)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अग्रहस्तेन: with the fore-hand/trunk-tip
• अग्रहस्तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agra-hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (अग्रः हस्तः/अग्रे स्थितः हस्तः)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• संस्मारयन्: causing (me) to remember
• संस्मारयन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-smṛ (धातु, णिजन्त causative)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• प्रियाम्: beloved (woman)
• प्रियाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrated in Sūta’s discourse (a lamenting man within the story-episode)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A male elephant gently reaches with his trunk to touch a female elephant walking close behind; the narrator stands nearby, eyes moist, remembering his own beloved.

Characters & Entities

• Elephant (vāraṇa)
• Beloved (priyā/kāntā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Affection in nature triggers human longing; the verse subtly points to mastering attachment and turning remembrance toward higher devotion within a sacred setting.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse does not name a tīrtha; it is embedded in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative that frames the sanctity of the region overall.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.