Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

प्रापितो लीलयाहत्य बाणैः कुसुमधन्विना । ततो मया स्खलद्वालं पृष्टा कस्येति तत्सखी

Transliteration

prāpito līlayāhatya bāṇaiḥ kusumadhanvinā | tato mayā skhaladvālaṃ pṛṣṭā kasyeti tatsakhī

Translation

Playfully struck by the arrows of the Flower-bowed one (Kāma), I was overcome. Then, with faltering speech, I asked her friend, “Whose daughter is she?”

Word by Word

• प्रापितः: was made to reach / was struck (made to be affected)
• प्रापितः: Kriyā (Predicate/Result state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• लीलया: playfully
• लीलया: Karaṇa (Instrument/Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• आहत्य: having struck
• आहत्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• बाणैः: with arrows
• बाणैः: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• कुसुमधन्विना: by the flower-bowed one (Kāma)
• कुसुमधन्विना: Karaṇa (Agent/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुसुम + धन्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कुसुमानि धनुः यस्य—‘flower-bowed’); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनन्तरम् (then)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• स्खलत्: stumbling, faltering
• स्खलत्: Karman (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्खल् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि शतृ (present active participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (द्वालम् इति विशेषण)

• द्वालम्: a faltering utterance/wording
• द्वालम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन (पाठान्तर/दुर्लभ-शब्दः; सम्भवतः ‘वचनम्/वाक्यम्’ इत्यर्थे)

• पृष्टा: was asked
• पृष्टा: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-छ्/पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (सखी)

• कस्य: of whom? whose?
• कस्य: Sambandha (Genitive in question)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुं, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyārtha-marker (Quotation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणसूचक अव्यय

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (compound member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• सखी: that female friend
• सखी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (तत् + सखी); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

First-person narrator within Sūta’s narration

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: vipra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāma (unseen or faintly depicted) playfully 'shoots' flower-arrows; the observer staggers emotionally, speech falters, and he asks the companion about the maiden’s identity.

Characters & Entities

• Kusumadhanvan (Kāma)
• sakhī (friend)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire can arise suddenly and powerfully; dharma channels it into socially responsible inquiry rather than impulsive action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it foreshadows marriage-related steps (seeking lineage and consent).