Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

वराङ्गनाश्च ताः सर्वा नरनारायणावृषी । विलोभयितुमारब्धा वागङ्गललितस्मितैः

Transliteration

varāṅganāśca tāḥ sarvā naranārāyaṇāvṛṣī | vilobhayitumārabdhā vāgaṅgalalitasmitaiḥ

Translation

Da begannen all jene erlesenen Frauen, die beiden stiergleichen Weisen Nara und Nārāyaṇa mit anmutigen Lächeln und spielerisch-verführerischer Rede und Gebärde zu betören.

Word by Word

• वर-अङ्गनाः: excellent women
• वर-अङ्गनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन; (वराः अङ्गनाः)

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

• ताः: those (women)
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ताः)

• नर-नारायणौ: Nara and Nārāyaṇa
• नर-नारायणौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्विवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व

• ऋषी: the two sages
• ऋषी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; (नरनारायणौ) इत्यस्य विशेष्य-सम्बन्धः

• विलोभयितुम्: to entice
• विलोभयितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√लुभ् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), अव्यय; ‘to entice’

• आरब्धाः: began/undertook
• आरब्धाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√रभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्तृवाच्ये ‘having begun/undertaken’

• वाक्-अङ्ग-ललित-स्मितैः: with smiles charming in speech and gestures
• वाक्-अङ्ग-ललित-स्मितैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक् (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + ललित (प्रातिपदिक) + स्मित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; (वाक्-अङ्गयोः ललितानि स्मितानि)

Speaker

Deductive (Revā Khaṇḍa narrative frame; likely narrator addressing a royal listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gandhamādana (Nara-Nārāyaṇa tapovana)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa) in narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of exquisitely adorned women approach the twin sages Nara and Nārāyaṇa; they deploy charming smiles, playful speech, and graceful gestures to entice, while the sages remain steady and radiant in austerity.

Characters & Entities

• Nara
• Nārāyaṇa
• Apsarās (implied by context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual discipline is tested by attraction; the verse sets the stage for the ideal of self-mastery (dama) and steadfast tapas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting belongs to the Revā (Narmadā) sacred region in the Avanti Khanda’s Revā Khaṇḍa, emphasizing the sanctity of ascetic locales.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the focus is narrative—depicting a test of ascetic resolve.