Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 143

Devanagari script

कन्योवाच । निर्मुखौ च कठोरौ च प्रोद्धतौ च मनोरमौ । स्त्रीस्तनौ सेवते धन्यो मधुमांसे विशेषतः

Transliteration

kanyovāca | nirmukhau ca kaṭhorau ca proddhatau ca manoramau | strīstanau sevate dhanyo madhumāṃse viśeṣataḥ

Translation

قالت الفتاة: «صلبان مرتفعان، مُبهجان وإن كانا “بلا وجه”؛ طوبى لمن يلتذّ بثديي المرأة، ولا سيّما في موسم الربيع.»

Word by Word

• कन्या: the maiden
• कन्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• निर्मुखौ: mouthless / without a face
• निर्मुखौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• कठोरौ: hard
• कठोरौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कठोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रोद्धतौ: swollen / raised
• प्रोद्धतौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रोद्धत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• मनोरमौ: charming
• मनोरमौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोरम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषण

• स्त्रीस्तनौ: a woman's breasts
• स्त्रीस्तनौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + स्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्त्रियाः स्तनौ)

• सेवते: enjoys / resorts to
• सेवते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• धन्यः: a fortunate man
• धन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मधुमांसे: in the honey-like flesh
• मधुमांसे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक) + मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (मधु इव मांसम्)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

Speaker

Kanyā (the maiden)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni (sage) and/or the assembled interlocutors

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young maiden speaks boldly in a debate setting, evoking spring (madhumāsa) imagery—blossoms, bees, and sensuous metaphor—while elders/listeners react with surprise.

Characters & Entities

• Madhu-māsa (spring season)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Within the dialogue structure, the verse voices the allure of sensual pleasure—setting up the counter-teaching that warns against attachment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this particular verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual prescription is present.