Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

पुमांसमभिकाङ्क्षन्त्यो यद्येकः कामयेत्स्त्रियः । मौक्तिकैर्रत्नमाणिक्यैर्वैडूर्यैश्च सुशोभनैः

Transliteration

pumāṃsamabhikāṅkṣantyo yadyekaḥ kāmayetstriyaḥ | mauktikairratnamāṇikyairvaiḍūryaiśca suśobhanaiḥ

Translation

Wenn ein einziger Mann Frauen begehrte, die selbst nach einem Mann verlangen, erschienen sie in strahlender Pracht, geschmückt mit Perlen, Edelsteinen, Rubinen und glänzendem Vaidūrya (Katzenauge).

Word by Word

• पुमांसम्: a man
• पुमांसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुमांस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• अभि-काङ्क्षन्त्यः: desiring/longing for
• अभि-काङ्क्षन्त्यः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-√काङ्क्ष् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (स्त्रियः) — ‘desiring/longing for’

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• एकः: one (man)
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; कर्तृपदम् (कामयेत्)

• कामयेत्: should desire
• कामयेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कम् (धातु) (काङ्क्षायाम्) / कामय् (णिच्-धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; सकर्मकः

• स्त्रियः: women
• स्त्रियः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन

• मौक्तिकैः: with pearls
• मौक्तिकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौक्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन

• रत्न-माणिक्यैः: with gems and rubies
• रत्न-माणिक्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न + माणिक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; समासः—रत्नाणि च माणिक्यानि च

• वैडूर्यैः: with cat’s-eye gems (vaidūrya)
• वैडूर्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैडूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन

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

• सु-शोभनैः: very splendid
• सु-शोभनैः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (मौक्तिकैः/रत्नमाणिक्यैः/वैडूर्यैः) — अतिशयेन शोभनैः

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (parīkṣā-sthala within the narrative)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A single man’s desire is contrasted with the maidens’ mutual longing; the maidens gleam with pearls, gems, rubies, and cat’s-eye stones—ornaments sparkling like constellations in the forest light.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unchecked desire (kāma) is portrayed as easily inflamed by glittering externals; dharma calls for restraint and clarity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is situated in Revā-kṣetra (Narmadā region), whose narratives are used to teach dharma through striking imagery.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit vrata, dāna, snāna, or japa is stated here.