Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अहिल्यानाम भार्याऽभूद्रूपे णाप्रतिमा भुवि । तां दृष्ट्वा चकमे शक्रः कामदेववशं गतः

Transliteration

ahilyānāma bhāryā'bhūdrūpe ṇāpratimā bhuvi | tāṃ dṛṣṭvā cakame śakraḥ kāmadevavaśaṃ gataḥ

Translation

Her name was Ahilyā, a wife unmatched in beauty upon the earth. Seeing her, Śakra desired her, falling under the sway of Kāma, the god of desire.

Word by Word

• अहिल्या: Ahalyā
• अहिल्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहिल्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता (subject)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामार्थक-निपात (quotative/‘by name’)

• भार्या: wife
• भार्या: Pradhana-kartṛ/Predicate nominal
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• अभूत्: was, became
• अभूत्: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; अकर्मक

• रूपेण: in beauty, by form
• रूपेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/हेतु-भाव (instrumental: ‘in respect of/with’)

• अप्रतिमा: incomparable
• अप्रतिमा: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-प्रतिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण of अहिल्या

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purva-kala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• चकमे: desired, fell in love
• चकमे: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; सकर्मक

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता

• कामदेववशम्: under the sway of Kāma (love-god)
• कामदेववशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कामदेव + वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; गत्यर्थक-क्रियायाः कर्म (object of गतः)

• गतः: gone, having come under
• गतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक (with implied 'अस्ति')

Speaker

Viśvāmitra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājan (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ahilyā, incomparable in beauty, stands within the quiet āśrama; Śakra watches, struck by desire, with Kāma’s unseen influence implied.

Characters & Entities

• Ahilyā
• Gautama
• Śakra (Indra)
• Kāmadeva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unchecked desire (kāma) can eclipse discernment, even for the mighty; self-restraint safeguards dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it narrates the moral cause behind later sacred-time/space consequences.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.