Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

कदलीस्तंभ सुव्यक्तं प्रियायाश्च सुकोमलौ । ऊरू त्वत्तोऽपि तन्वंग्याः सत्येनात्मानमालभे

Transliteration

kadalīstaṃbha suvyaktaṃ priyāyāśca sukomalau | ūrū tvatto'pi tanvaṃgyāḥ satyenātmānamālabhe

Translation

اے کیلے کے تنے! صاف کہتا ہوں کہ میری نازک اندام محبوبہ کی نہایت نرم رانیں تم سے بھی زیادہ لطیف ہیں؛ اس سچ کی قسم کھا کر میں اپنے آپ کو گواہ بناتا ہوں۔

Word by Word

• कदलीस्तम्भ: O banana-stem
• कदलीस्तम्भ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कदली-स्तम्भ (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — Vocative singular; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष (कदल्याः स्तम्भः)

• सुव्यक्तम्: clearly
• सुव्यक्तम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-व्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन — Nom./Acc. singular; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbially) ‘clearly’

• प्रियायाः: of (my) beloved
• प्रियायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय — conjunction

• सुकोमलौ: very delicate/tender
• सुकोमलौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-कोमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), द्विवचन — Nominative dual; विशेषण (ऊरू)

• ऊरू: (her) two thighs
• ऊरू: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), द्विवचन — Nominative dual

• त्वत्तः: than you/from you
• त्वत्तः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी (5/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — Ablative singular (2nd person pronoun)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-कारक अव्यय — particle ‘also/even’

• तन्वङ्ग्याः: of the slender-limbed (woman)
• तन्वङ्ग्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु-अङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive singular; बहुव्रीहि (तन्वङ्गी = ‘having slender limbs’)

• सत्येन: by truth / truly
• सत्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; शपथार्थे (as oath)

• आत्मानम्: myself
• आत्मानम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• आलभे: I touch/embrace (I swear)
• आलभे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present indicative 1st sg; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

A lovelorn husband/lover (narrative voice within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A banana grove in a sacred forest; the speaker compares the banana stem’s softness to his beloved’s thighs, then touches his chest/arm in a solemn truth-affirmation, eyes moist with longing.

Characters & Entities

• kadalī (banana plant)
• satya (truth/oath)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Satya (truth) is invoked as a solemn validating force; Purāṇic dharma repeatedly treats truthfulness as a binding moral power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No pilgrimage-rite is stated, but an oath-like gesture/idiom (“by truth…”) appears as a dharmic emphasis on satya.