Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

सा भर्तृप्रेयसी नित्यं रूपमाधुर्यपेशला । भर्तारं वशमानिन्ये रूपवश्यादिकैतवैः

Transliteration

sā bhartṛpreyasī nityaṃ rūpamādhuryapeśalā | bhartāraṃ vaśamāninye rūpavaśyādikaitavaiḥ

Translation

Ever dear to her husband, graced with charming beauty and sweetness, she brought him under her sway through deceptive arts—ensnaring him by her beauty and other stratagems.

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भर्तृप्रेयसी: (her) husband's beloved
• भर्तृप्रेयसी: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रेयसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (husband's beloved)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (always)

• रूपमाधुर्यपेशला: charming with sweet beauty
• रूपमाधुर्यपेशला: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + माधुर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पेशल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (बहुपद) तत्पुरुष-प्रायः: रूपस्य माधुर्येण पेशला (charming due to beauty's sweetness)

• भर्तारम्: (her) husband
• भर्तारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• वशम्: into control
• वशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आनिन्ये: brought (him)
• आनिन्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-नी (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• रूपवश्यादिकैतवैः: by tricks such as beauty-based enchantment
• रूपवश्यादिकैतवैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + वश्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + कैतव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः (बहुपद) तत्पुरुषः: रूपवश्य-आदि-कैतवैः (by deceptions such as making (him) submissive through beauty)

Speaker

Śrī Devī (continuing narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni/assembly (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A domestic tableau of the past life: Bhāminī, alluring and confident, uses charm and subtle deceit to dominate her husband; the husband appears captivated, his agency diminished.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Devī
• Bhāminī
• Husband (brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charm without dharma becomes a cause of bondage—deception and manipulation create karmic consequences for all involved.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this is an ethical-karmic illustration within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it warns against kaitava (deceit) as adharma.