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

Một con voi tự bước tới, mang đôi bướu trán như cặp nhũ của nàng. Ta tiến đến những ‘kumbha’ ấy và hỏi: liệu nó có thể chỉ cho ta người yêu dấu chăng.

Word by Word

• karīṃdaḥ: an elephant (bull)
• karīṃdaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karīṃda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• svayam: by himself
• svayam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्वार्थक/क्रियाविशेषण (reflexive adverb ‘oneself’)

• abhyeti: approaches
• abhyeti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi + i (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः अभि

• tat-kuca-ābhau: the two breast-like lustres/appearances of that (one)
• tat-kuca-ābhau: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + kuca (प्रातिपदिक) + ābhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), द्विवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (tasya kucayoḥ ābhā → tatkucābhā)

• samudvahan: bearing, carrying
• samudvahan: Karta (Agent qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + ud + vah (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त/Present active participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (karīṃdaḥ)

• kumbhau: the two temples (of an elephant)
• kumbhau: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), द्विवचन

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• tu: then, but
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अनुक्रम-निपात (particle ‘but/then’)

• pṛcchāmi: I ask
• pṛcchāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prach (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (conditional conjunction)

• śaṃsati: tells, reports
• śaṃsati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śaṃs (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tām: her
• tām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• priyām: beloved
• priyām: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, 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

• Karīndra (elephant)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Delusion can project the beloved onto anything seen; spiritual discipline steadies perception and ends compulsive projection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it serves the ongoing māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.