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Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 18

Lakṣmī’s Emergence, Dhanvantari, and the Advent of Mohinī-mūrti

स्तनद्वयं चातिकृशोदरी समं निरन्तरं चन्दनकुङ्कुमोक्षितम् । ततस्ततो नूपुरवल्गुशिञ्जितै- र्विसर्पती हेमलतेव सा बभौ ॥ १८ ॥

stana-dvayaṁ cātikṛśodarī samaṁ nirantaraṁ candana-kuṅkumokṣitam tatas tato nūpura-valgu śiñjitair visarpatī hema-lateva sā babhau

اس کے دونوں پستان برابر اور خوبصورتی سے قائم تھے، جن پر چندن کا لیپ اور کُنگُم چھڑکا ہوا تھا؛ اس کی کمر نہایت باریک تھی۔ جب وہ ادھر اُدھر چلتی تو پازیب کی نرم جھنکار کے ساتھ وہ گویا سونے کی بیل کی مانند دکھائی دیتی۔

stana-dvayamthe pair of breasts
stana-dvayam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootstana (प्रातिपदिक) + dvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formद्विगु-समास (numerical: ‘pair of breasts’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Acc.), एकवचन
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
ati-kṛśa-udarīvery slender-waisted
ati-kṛśa-udarī:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootati (अव्यय) + kṛśa (प्रातिपदिक) + udarī (प्रातिपदिक)
Formकर्मधारय-समास (‘very slender-waisted’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन (subject-qualifier)
samamevenly
samam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootsama (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Acc.), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbially: ‘evenly’)
nirantaramcontinuously
nirantaram:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootnirantara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (‘continuously/without break’)
candana-kuṅkuma-ukṣitamsmeared with sandal and saffron
candana-kuṅkuma-ukṣitam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootcandana (प्रातिपदिक) + kuṅkuma (प्रातिपदिक) + ukṣita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (‘sprinkled/smeared with sandal and saffron’); ukṣita = √ukṣ (धातु) क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (qualifying stana-dvayam)
tataḥthen
tataḥ:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय (adverb)
tataḥagain and again
tataḥ:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय (adverb), पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis: ‘again and again/at every step’)
nūpura-valgu-śiñjitaiḥwith sweet anklet-tinklings
nūpura-valgu-śiñjitaiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootnūpura (प्रातिपदिक) + valgu (प्रातिपदिक) + śiñjita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (‘with the sweet tinklings of anklets’); śiñjita = √śiñj (धातु) क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP used as noun ‘tinkling’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instr.), बहुवचन
visarpatīmoving/gliding
visarpatī:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootvi-√sṛp (धातु)
Formशतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with sā)
hema-latāa golden creeper
hema-latā:
Upamāna (उपमान)
TypeNoun
Roothema (प्रातिपदिक) + latā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formकर्मधारय-समास (‘golden creeper’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
ivalike/as
iva:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiva (अव्यय)
Formउपमा-अव्यय (particle of comparison)
she
:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)
babhaushone/appeared
babhau:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√bhā (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
M
Mohinī-mūrti (Lord Viṣṇu)
D
Devas
A
Asuras

FAQs

In this verse, Śukadeva describes Mohinī’s exquisitely graceful form—symmetry, slender waist, fragrant anointments, and anklets—highlighting the Lord’s divine beauty that captivates and bewilders even powerful beings.

Because Mohinī-līlā is central to how Lord Viṣṇu redirects the asuras’ attention and controls the situation during the churning episode; the vivid description explains the mechanism of divine enchantment (māyā) within the narrative.

The verse reminds seekers to recognize how attraction can overpower judgment; cultivating devotion, discernment, and self-restraint helps one avoid being led by mere внешняя allure and remain aligned with dharma.