Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

शिखायां बद्धरुद्राक्षः कुक्कुटः कपिना सह । चिरं नृत्यति नृत्यज्ञः पश्यतां चित्रमावहन्

Transliteration

śikhāyāṃ baddharudrākṣaḥ kukkuṭaḥ kapinā saha | ciraṃ nṛtyati nṛtyajñaḥ paśyatāṃ citramāvahan

Translation

چوٹی میں رُدرाक्ष باندھے ہوئے، رقص میں ماہر وہ مرغ بندر کے ساتھ دیر تک ناچتا رہتا اور دیکھنے والوں کے لیے عجیب تماشا پیدا کرتا تھا۔

Word by Word

• śikhāyām: on the topknot/crest
• śikhāyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śikhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case, locative), एकवचन

• baddha-rudrākṣaḥ: having rudrākṣa beads tied (on)
• baddha-rudrākṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: baddha (बन्ध् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त) + rudrākṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (बद्धः rudrākṣaḥ यस्य)

• kukkuṭaḥ: the rooster
• kukkuṭaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kukkuṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kapinā: with the monkey
• kapinā: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (instrumental), एकवचन

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक उपपद (postposition meaning ‘with’)

• ciram: for a long time
• ciram: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावप्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय; कालपरिमाणवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of duration)

• nṛtyati: dances
• nṛtyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nṛt (नृत् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• nṛtyajñaḥ: skilled in dancing
• nṛtyajñaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nṛtya (प्रातिपदिक) + jña (ज्ञा धातु से निष्पन्न ‘ज्ञ’; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नृत्ये ज्ञः = नृत्यविद्)

• paśyatām: of the onlookers; of those watching
• paśyatām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paśyant (पश् धातु, शतृ-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (genitive) बहुवचन; वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (‘of those who are watching’)

• citram: a wonder; something striking
• citram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन

• āvahan: bringing about; producing
• āvahan: Kriya-visheshana (Participial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√vah (वह् धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; प्रथमा, पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन (present participle)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, unspecified in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A rooster with a rudrākṣa tied to its topknot dances expertly alongside the monkey, holding the crowd’s gaze with an amusing, almost ritual-costumed performance.

Characters & Entities

• rudrākṣa
• kukkuṭa (rooster)
• kapi/markaṭa (monkey)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse paints a vivid worldly scene while subtly foregrounding rudrākṣa as a devotional sign associated with Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is identified in this verse; the focus is narrative description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes adornment and entertainment rather than prescribing a vrata or rite.