Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

ददर्शाथ स्थितां नारीं नवयौवनशालिनीम् । उदैक्षत महाकांतिं मूर्तामिव रतिं द्विजः

Transliteration

dadarśātha sthitāṃ nārīṃ navayauvanaśālinīm | udaikṣata mahākāṃtiṃ mūrtāmiva ratiṃ dvijaḥ

Translation

Da erblickte der junge Brāhmaṇa eine Frau, die dort stand, im Glanz frisch erblühter Jugend; er schaute ihre große Anmut, als hätte Rati selbst leibliche Gestalt angenommen.

Word by Word

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; sequence)

• स्थिताम्: standing
• स्थिताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘standing’

• नारीम्: a woman
• नारीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• नवयौवनशालिनीम्: possessing fresh youth
• नवयौवनशालिनीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव (प्रातिपदिक) + यौवन (प्रातिपदिक) + शालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘नव-यौवनं यस्याः सा’—बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषणप्रयोगः)

• उदैक्षत: looked at, beheld
• उदैक्षत: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-√ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• महाकान्तिम्: great beauty/splendour
• महाकान्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + कान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘महती कान्तिः’)

• मूर्ताम्: embodied
• मूर्ताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (‘embodied, formed’)

• इव: as if, like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमा-वाचक; simile marker)

• रतिम्: Rati (goddess of love)
• रतिम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• द्विजः: the brahmin (youth)
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śmaśāna (episode-site)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the cremation-ground, the brāhmaṇa youth beholds a radiant young woman, dazzling like embodied Rati, standing unexpectedly amid the eerie surroundings.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija (Brāhmaṇa youth)
• Rati (as comparison)
• Mysterious woman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is often tested through alluring appearances; discernment must accompany courage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu Kṣetra, presented as a place where spiritual resolve is tried and refined.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse sets up a moral/spiritual test within the narrative.