Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

यं कदर्पो वीक्षमाणः समानं देवैरन्यैर्भस्मजातः स्वयं हि । पौष्पैर्बाणैः सर्वविश्वैकजेता को वा स्तुत्यः कामजेतुस्ततोन्यः

Transliteration

yaṃ kadarpo vīkṣamāṇaḥ samānaṃ devairanyairbhasmajātaḥ svayaṃ hi | pauṣpairbāṇaiḥ sarvaviśvaikajetā ko vā stutyaḥ kāmajetustatonyaḥ

Translation

When Kāma, deeming Him no more than equal to other gods, cast his gaze upon Him, he himself was turned to ashes. Though he conquers the whole world with flower-arrows—who is worthy of praise but that Conqueror of Kāma?

Word by Word

• yam: whom
• yam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kadarpaḥ: Kāma (Cupid)
• kadarpaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kadarpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vīkṣamāṇaḥ: while looking at
• vīkṣamāṇaḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √īkṣ (धातु) + vi- (उपसर्ग) (वर्तमान-कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कालिक कर्तरि शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• samānam: equal (to him)
• samānam: Karma (Object-complement/कर्मपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (यम् इति सर्वनामस्य)

• devaiḥ: by/with the gods
• devaiḥ: Sahakāraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/सह), बहुवचन

• anyaiḥ: other
• anyaiḥ: Sahakāraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (देवैः)

• bhasma-jātaḥ: reduced to ashes
• bhasma-jātaḥ: Karta (Subject-predicate/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhasma (प्रातिपदिक) + jāta (√jan, क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भस्म + जात); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्यय (जात = उत्पन्न/भूत)

• svayam: himself
• svayam: Modifier (Emphasis/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण

• hi: indeed
• hi: Discourse particle (Nipāta/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (हेतु/निश्चयार्थ)

• pauṣpaiḥ: flower (made of flowers)
• pauṣpaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (बाणैः)

• bāṇaiḥ: with arrows
• bāṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• sarva-viśva-eka-jetā: the sole conqueror of the whole world
• sarva-viśva-eka-jetā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + eka (प्रातिपदिक) + jetṛ (√ji, तृ-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; jetā = कर्तृवाचक (विजेता)

• kaḥ: who
• kaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• vā: indeed/then (or)
• vā: Discourse particle (Option/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक निपात

• stutyaḥ: worthy of praise
• stutyaḥ: Predicate (Qualificand/विशेष्य-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: stutya (√stu, यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त/विशेषण)
• Form: कृदन्त-विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘स्तोतव्य/प्रशंसनीय’ अर्थे

• kāma-jetuḥ: the conqueror of Kāma
• kāma-jetuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + jetṛ (√ji, तृ-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कामस्य जेताः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tataḥ: than that/thereafter
• tataḥ: Modifier (Comparison/तुलना)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-अर्थे (अपादान/तुलनार्थ)

• anyaḥ: another
• anyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Satyavatī’s son (Vyāsa) in stotra to Śiva (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśvanātha (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/devotees of Kāśī (implicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāma with floral bow aims at meditating Śiva; Śiva’s third eye opens; Kāma is reduced to ash; devas witness in awe; background suggests Kāśī’s sanctity with ghāṭs and liṅga iconography.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Kāma (Kandarpa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mastery over desire is divine; Śiva as Kāmajit embodies transcendence of passion and the power of inner austerity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, as the setting of Viśvanātha’s praise; the mythic reference is Kāmadahana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the implied dharma is restraint (indriya-nigraha) and devotion.