Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

प्रणम्य पादयोः कद्रूं दीनो वचनम ब्रवीत् । अहमुच्चैःश्रवोवालं विधास्याम्यंजनप्रभम्

Transliteration

praṇamya pādayoḥ kadrūṃ dīno vacanama bravīt | ahamuccaiḥśravovālaṃ vidhāsyāmyaṃjanaprabham

Translation

เขากราบแทบพระบาทของกัทรู แล้วกล่าวด้วยความทุกข์ว่า “ข้าจะทำให้ขนหางของอุจไฉศรวัสมืดดำดุจอัญชัน (เขม่าตา)”

Word by Word

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकर्म (having bowed)

• पादयोः: at the feet
• पादयोः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी (6th/7th), द्विवचन; ‘at the feet/of the feet’ (contextually: at the feet)

• कद्रूम्: Kadrū
• कद्रूम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कद्रू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object of प्रणम्य)

• दीनः: wretched, humble
• दीनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying the speaker)

• वचनम्: a word, speech
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object of ब्रवीत्)

• ब्रवीत्: said
• ब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• उच्चैःश्रवोवालम्: the tail of Uccaiḥśravas
• उच्चैःश्रवोवालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उच्चैःश्रवस् (प्रातिपदिक) + वाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (उच्चैःश्रवसः वालः)

• विधास्यामि: I will make/arrange
• विधास्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + धा (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/भविष्यत्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अञ्जनप्रभम्: having the sheen of collyrium (black, glossy)
• अञ्जनप्रभम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थे: ‘अञ्जनवत् प्रभा यस्य’ (black-lustrous) — here as adjective to वालम्

Speaker

Karkoṭaka (serpent) speaking to Kadrū

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Karkoṭaka bows at Kadrū’s feet, hands folded, hood lowered; he promises to blacken Uccaiḥśravas’s tail-hairs like añjana (collyrium).

Characters & Entities

• Kadrū
• Uccaiḥśravas
• Karkoṭaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse highlights how desperation can lead to adharma (deception), which later ripens into suffering and bondage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setukhaṇḍa’s overarching sacred landscape is Setu/Rāmeśvaram; this verse functions as mythic background rather than direct tīrtha-mahātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes a pledge to alter appearances as part of a wager-related plot.