Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

इक्षुयष्टिमयं चापं पुष्पबाणसमन्वितम् । भृंगश्रेणिमय्या मौर्व्या शोभितं सुमनोहरम्

Transliteration

ikṣuyaṣṭimayaṃ cāpaṃ puṣpabāṇasamanvitam | bhṛṃgaśreṇimayyā maurvyā śobhitaṃ sumanoharam

Translation

وكان يحمل قوساً من عيدان قصب السكر، مزوّداً بسهامٍ من الزهور، ومزيّناً بوترٍ كأنه صفٌّ من النحل—غايةً في الحسن والفتنة للناظرين.

Word by Word

• ikṣu-yaṣṭi-mayam: made of sugarcane-stalk
• ikṣu-yaṣṭi-mayam: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ikṣu (प्रातिपदिक) + yaṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (इक्षुयष्ट्या मयम्/निर्मितम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with cāpam)

• cāpam: bow
• cāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neut., accusative, singular)

• puṣpa-bāṇa-samanvitam: endowed with flower-arrows
• puṣpa-bāṇa-samanvitam: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक) + bāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + samanvita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पुष्पबाणैः समन्वितम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with cāpam)

• bhṛṅga-śreṇi-mayyā: made of a row of bees
• bhṛṅga-śreṇi-mayyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhṛṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṇī (प्रातिपदिक) + mayī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भृङ्गश्रेण्या मयी), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with maurvyā)

• maurvyā: with the bowstring
• maurvyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maurvī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (fem., instrumental, singular)

• śobhitam: adorned
• śobhitam: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubh (धातु) → śobhita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (adorned)

• su-manoharam: very charming
• su-manoharam: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + manohara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सु + मनोहरम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda (Arbudācala)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa / mahārāja

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāma appears in full charming regalia: sugarcane bow, flower arrows, and a bowstring made of a buzzing line of bees—an embodiment of springtime allure, yet within a Śaiva sacred narrative frame.

Characters & Entities

• Kāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse preserves sacred iconography: desire is portrayed through beauty and attraction, yet remains within the governance of divine order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, the Arbuda-Kāmeśvara context is upheld; the verse itself is primarily descriptive of Kāma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is an iconographic description (dhyāna-style imagery).