Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

तदहं मन्मथाविष्टो दर्शनात्तव शोभने । ब्रह्मचर्यपरोपीत्थं महाव्रतधरोऽपि च

Transliteration

tadahaṃ manmathāviṣṭo darśanāttava śobhane | brahmacaryaparopītthaṃ mahāvratadharo'pi ca

Translation

„Darum, o Strahlende, bin ich schon beim Anblick deiner von Manmatha (der Begierde) ergriffen worden, obgleich ich dem Brahmacarya ergeben bin und das große Gelübde trage.“

Word by Word

• तत्: therefore/so
• तत्: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/सम्बन्धसूचक), वाक्योपक्रमे ‘तस्मात्/अतः’ इत्यर्थे

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग (उभयलिङ्ग-प्रयोग), प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मन्मथ-आविष्टः: overcome/possessed by Love (Kāma)
• मन्मथ-आविष्टः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्मथ (प्रातिपदिक) + आविष्ट (कृदन्त; √विश् (धातु) + आ- उपसर्ग, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; ‘मन्मथेन आविष्टः’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुष

• दर्शनात्: from (your) sight; because of seeing
• दर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक; √दृश् (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे (ablative of cause)

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• शोभने: O beautiful one
• शोभने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; स्त्री-सम्बोधनरूप (vocative)

• ब्रह्मचर्य-परः: devoted to celibacy
• ब्रह्मचर्य-परः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘ब्रह्मचर्ये परः’ इति सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात), अप्यर्थे ‘even/also’

• इत्थम्: thus/in this way
• इत्थम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण), प्रकारे ‘एवं/thus’

• महाव्रत-धरः: a bearer/observer of a great vow
• महाव्रत-धरः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाव्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक; √धृ (धातु) + अ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘महाव्रतं धरति’ इति उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-प्राय

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात), समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ

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

Speaker

Muni (the sage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vow-bearing sage, austere yet visibly shaken, confesses that mere sight of a radiant woman has ignited Manmatha’s force; the moment is intimate and psychologically charged rather than overtly erotic.

Characters & Entities

• Manmatha
• Rambhā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vows and disciplines are meaningful precisely because they are tested; awareness of desire’s rise is essential to uphold brahmacarya and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter, but this line highlights moral struggle rather than naming the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it references dharmic observances—brahmacarya and mahāvrata—as the spiritual framework.