Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

तस्मात्कुरु प्रसादं मे रतिदानेन शोभने । को जानाति हि तच्चित्तं कीदृग्रूपं भविष्यति

Transliteration

tasmātkuru prasādaṃ me ratidānena śobhane | ko jānāti hi taccittaṃ kīdṛgrūpaṃ bhaviṣyati

Translation

Darum, o Schöne, erweise mir Gnade, indem du mir die Gabe der Liebeswonne gewährst. Denn wer vermag zu wissen, welche Gestalt jener Geist annehmen wird (wenn man ihn versagt)?

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम-अव्ययभाव/तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: हेतौ/तस्मात्-शब्दः (ablatival adverb) ‘therefore/from that’

• कुरु: do / grant
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रसादम्: favor, grace
• प्रसादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (enclitic)

• रतिदानेन: by giving love
• रतिदानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रतिदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; (रतेः दानम्) ‘gift of love/sexual union’

• शोभने: O beautiful one
• शोभने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जानाति: knows
• जानाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतुवाचक

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• चित्तम्: mind, intention
• चित्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कीदृक्: of what kind
• कीदृक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीदृश् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-विशेषण

• रूपम्: form, state
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• भविष्यति: will become
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Citrāṅgada (Gandharva)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the maiden (śobhanā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The man leans forward in supplication, palms slightly open; the maiden is off-frame or partially shown, indicating tension. Visual metaphor: swirling lines near the head to show citta-vikāra.

Characters & Entities

• Citrāṅgada
• Kāma (implied)
• Mind (citta)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse dramatizes how desire pressures the mind; Purāṇic dharma typically frames such pressure as something to be governed, not obeyed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.