Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

अहं चापि समालोक्य त्वां मुने मन्मथोपमम् । हता कामशरैस्तीक्ष्णैर्न च गंतुं समुत्सहे

Transliteration

ahaṃ cāpi samālokya tvāṃ mune manmathopamam | hatā kāmaśaraistīkṣṇairna ca gaṃtuṃ samutsahe

Translation

„Und auch ich, o Weiser, als ich dich sah — schön wie Manmatha — wurde von den scharfen Pfeilen der Begierde getroffen und vermag nicht mehr fortzugehen.“

Word by Word

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

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

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

• समालोक्य: having looked at
• समालोक्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√लोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; ‘समालोक्य’ = having looked at

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• मन्मथ-उपमम्: comparable to Kāma
• मन्मथ-उपमम्: Karman (Object complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्मथ (प्रातिपदिक) + उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘मन्मथेन उपमः’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुष; ‘त्वाम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• हता: struck/afflicted
• हता: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत (कृदन्त; √हन् (धातु), क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘अहम्’ (स्त्रीवक्ता) इत्यस्य विशेषण

• काम-शरैः: by the arrows of Love
• काम-शरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; ‘कामस्य शराः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• तीक्ष्णैः: sharp
• तीक्ष्णैः: Karana (Instrument qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीक्ष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; ‘शरैः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध)

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

• गन्तुम्: to go
• गन्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), अव्यय; प्रयोजन/इच्छार्थे

• समुत्सहे: I am able/dare
• समुत्सहे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उत्-√सह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Rambhā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rambhā confesses her own desire: the sage appears Manmatha-like; invisible sharp flower-arrows strike her; she stands as if rooted, unable to depart.

Characters & Entities

• Manmatha (Kāma)
• Muni (addressed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It portrays desire as a powerful force that overwhelms even resolve, setting the stage for dharma to be proven through restraint and repentance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it functions as narrative within a broader tīrtha-māhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.