Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

यावन्न हरिणाक्षीणामपांगविवरेक्षिताः । मया व्यवसितं चित्ते तदानीं तां जिहीर्षुणा

Transliteration

yāvanna hariṇākṣīṇāmapāṃgavivarekṣitāḥ | mayā vyavasitaṃ citte tadānīṃ tāṃ jihīrṣuṇā

Translation

ما دمتُ لم أُصَبْ بعدُ بسهامِ النظراتِ المائلةِ من مآقي فتياتٍ عيونُهنّ كعيونِ الظِّباء، كان عزمي ثابتًا في القلب؛ فلما نهضت رغبةُ اختطافِها وحملِها بعيدًا اضطرب ذلك العزمُ وتزلزل.

Word by Word

• यावत्: until, as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालपरिमाणवाचक-अव्ययम् (as long as/until)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation)

• हरिणाक्षीणाम्: of the doe-eyed (women)
• हरिणाक्षीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरिण + अक्षी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः (of doe-eyed women)

• अपाङ्गविवर: the corner-opening (of the eye)
• अपाङ्गविवर: Adhikarana (as part of locative compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपाङ्ग + विवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषे पूर्वपदम्; समासाङ्ग (in the corner-opening of the eye)

• ईक्षिताः: glanced/seen
• ईक्षिताः: Kriya (Participial predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष् (धातु) + क्त (PPP)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; कर्मणि (seen/looked)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• व्यवसितम्: resolved, determined
• व्यवसितम्: Kriya (Participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + अव + सॆ/सद्?; here √वस्/√सि? idiomatically ‘vy-ava-sā’ (धातु: अवस/वस्) + क्त (PPP)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; भावे (resolved/decided)

• चित्ते: in (my) mind
• चित्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अधिकरणे (in the mind)

• तदानीम्: then, at that moment
• तदानीम्: Sambandha (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदानीम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (at that time)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• जिहीर्षुणा: by (me) wishing to seize/take (her)
• जिहीर्षुणा: Karana (Instrument/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृ (धातु) + desiderative (सन्) जिहीर्षु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; हेतौ/करणे (by one wishing to take away)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating within Māheśvara-khaṇḍa to the sages (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unspecified (address implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up emphasis on the maiden’s sidelong glance (apāṅga) and the narrator’s inner wavering—depict the glance as a subtle ‘arrow’ without Kāma’s physical presence; the moment of saṅkalpa turning into intent to abduct.

Characters & Entities

• Gālava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sense-contact (especially through sight) can destabilize resolve; dharma requires mastery of attention and intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred geography is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse highlights inner discipline rather than an external rite.