Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

स्मरोऽपि न शशाकाथ प्रवेष्टुं हृदयं तयोः । विद्यामयं दीपयुतमन्धकार इवालयम्

Transliteration

smaro'pi na śaśākātha praveṣṭuṃ hṛdayaṃ tayoḥ | vidyāmayaṃ dīpayutamandhakāra ivālayam

Translation

Nicht einmal Smara (Kāma) vermochte in ihre Herzen einzudringen—wie Dunkelheit nicht in ein Haus gelangen kann, das von Licht erfüllt und durch Erkenntnis strahlend ist.

Word by Word

• स्मरः: Kāma (the god of love)
• स्मरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे ‘even/also’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• शशाक: was able
• शशाक: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• प्रवेष्टुम्: to enter
• प्रवेष्टुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/infinitival purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-विश् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), क्रियार्थक

• हृदयम्: heart
• हृदयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• तयोः: of the two (of them)
• तयोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), द्विवचन

• विद्यामयम्: made of knowledge
• विद्यामयम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विद्या + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (विद्यया मयम् = made of knowledge); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (आलयम् इति विशेषण)

• दीपयुतम्: provided with lamps
• दीपयुतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीप + युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दीपैः युतम् = furnished with lamps); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (आलयम् इति विशेषण)

• अन्धकारः: darkness
• अन्धकारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्धकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इव: like/as if
• इव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/comparison)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• आलयम्: a house/dwelling
• आलयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrthas (general Revākhaṇḍa setting)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two ascetics seated in meditation, their hearts depicted as a lamp-lit sanctum of knowledge; Kāma stands outside unable to enter, like darkness repelled by radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Smara (Kāma)
• Nara
• Nārāyaṇa
• Knowledge (Vidyā, metaphor)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire cannot overpower a heart illumined by knowledge; inner light is the true protection of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is primarily ethical-yogic; within Revā Khaṇḍa it supports the sanctity of ascetic spaces but does not name a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it teaches a principle: cultivate vidyā (spiritual knowledge) to dispel the darkness of passion.