Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 71
Devanagari script
करींदः स्वयमभ्येति तत्कुचाभौ समुद्वहन् । कुम्भौ गत्वा तु पृच्छामि यदि शंसति तां प्रियाम्
Transliteration
karīṃdaḥ svayamabhyeti tatkucābhau samudvahan | kumbhau gatvā tu pṛcchāmi yadi śaṃsati tāṃ priyām
Translation
करीन्द्रः स्वयमेवाभ्येति, तत्कुचाभौ कुम्भौ समुद्वहन्; तान् कुम्भान् उपगम्य पृच्छामि—यदि तां प्रियाम् शंसति।
Word by Word
karīṃdaḥan elephant (bull)
karīṃdaḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootkarīṃda (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
svayamby himself
svayam:
Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsvayam (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; स्वार्थक/क्रियाविशेषण (reflexive adverb ‘oneself’)
abhyetiapproaches
abhyeti:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootabhi + i (धातु)
Formलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः अभि
tat-kuca-ābhauthe two breast-like lustres/appearances of that (one)
tat-kuca-ābhau:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + kuca (प्रातिपदिक) + ābhā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), द्विवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (tasya kucayoḥ ābhā → tatkucābhā)
samudvahanbearing, carrying
samudvahan:
Karta (Agent qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootsam + ud + vah (धातु)
Formशतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त/Present active participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (karīṃdaḥ)
kumbhauthe two temples (of an elephant)
kumbhau:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootkumbha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), द्विवचन
gatvāhaving gone
gatvā:
Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
TypeVerb
Rootgam (धातु)
Formक्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)
tuthen, but
tu:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विरोध/अनुक्रम-निपात (particle ‘but/then’)
pṛcchāmiI ask
pṛcchāmi:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootprach (धातु)
Formलट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
yadiif
yadi:
Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyadi (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; शर्तार्थक (conditional conjunction)
śaṃsatitells, reports
śaṃsati:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootśaṃs (धातु)
Formलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
tāmher
tām:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
Formसर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन
priyāmbeloved
priyām:
Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (tām)
Speaker
Narrator (unnamed male speaker within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: An elephant approaches, its frontal globes likened to the beloved’s breasts; the distraught lover steps toward it, questioning it as if it could guide him.
Characters & Entities
K
Karīndra (elephant)FAQs
Delusion can project the beloved onto anything seen; spiritual discipline steadies perception and ends compulsive projection.
No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it serves the ongoing māhātmya narrative.
None.