Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

कामेश्वरपुरस्थं च तं दृष्ट्वा कुसुमायुधम् । अत्यंतविकृताकारं चिंतयानं महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

kāmeśvarapurasthaṃ ca taṃ dṛṣṭvā kusumāyudham | atyaṃtavikṛtākāraṃ ciṃtayānaṃ maheśvaram

Translation

Als sie Kusumāyudha (Kāma) in Kāmeśvarapura erblickten und Maheśvara in höchst entstellter Gestalt sahen, versunken in sorgenvollen Gedanken, wurden sie von Kummer und Staunen ergriffen.

Word by Word

• कामेश्वरपुरस्थम्: situated in Kāmeśvara-city
• कामेश्वरपुरस्थम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कामेश्वरपुर (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कामेश्वरपुरे स्थितः), पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तं इति विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-निपात) — 'and'

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Sambandha (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund) — 'having seen'

• कुसुमायुधम्: Kusumāyudha (Kāma, 'flower-weaponed')
• कुसुमायुधम्: Karma (Object-apposition/कर्म-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुसुम (प्रातिपदिक) + आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कुसुमं आयुधं यस्य), पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कामदेव-नाम

• अत्यन्तविकृताकारम्: of extremely distorted form
• अत्यन्तविकृताकारम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अत्यन्त (अव्यय/उपपद) + विकृत (प्रातिपदिक) + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अत्यन्तं विकृतः आकारः यस्य), पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तं इति विशेषण

• चिन्तयानम्: pondering
• चिन्तयानम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिन्तय् (धातु) → चिन्तयान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/लट्-प्रत्ययार्थ), पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'thinking/pondering'

• महेश्वरम्: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator continuing the Tīrthamāhātmya account; exact speaker not explicit in this snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāmeśvarapura

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within Kāmeśvarapura, Kāma stands present, yet afflicted; nearby Maheśvara is seen in a strangely distorted, anxious aspect—eyes lowered in thought—while onlookers recoil in grief and wonder.

Characters & Entities

• Kāmeśvarapura
• Kusumāyudha (Kāma)
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even divine figures enter states of ‘distress’ within Purāṇic narratives to reveal the hidden glory of a tīrtha and to instruct beings toward remedy through dharma and worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāmeśvarapura is the immediate sacred setting; the surrounding adhyāya proceeds toward the praise of a specific kuṇḍa/jalāśaya with healing merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated in this verse; it sets the scene for later instructions about worship and sacred bathing.