Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

नारीणां तु सदा कामोऽभ्यधिकाः परिवर्तते । विशेषेण ऋतौ काले पीड्यते कामसायकैः

Transliteration

nārīṇāṃ tu sadā kāmo'bhyadhikāḥ parivartate | viśeṣeṇa ṛtau kāle pīḍyate kāmasāyakaiḥ

Translation

Chez les femmes, certes, le désir est toujours puissant et revient sans cesse; et surtout au temps de la fécondité, elles sont tourmentées par les flèches de la passion.

Word by Word

• नारीणाम्: of women
• नारीणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• कामः: desire
• कामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता

• अभ्यधिकः: excessive/greater
• अभ्यधिकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘कामः’ इति विशेषण

• परिवर्तते: turns/changes
• परिवर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + √वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; प्रकार/विशेषणार्थे तृतीया (instrumental of manner)

• ऋतौ: in the season (menses)
• ऋतौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (time)

• काले: at the time
• काले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (time)

• पीड्यते: is afflicted
• पीड्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• कामसायकैः: by the arrows of desire
• कामसायकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + सायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘कामस्य सायकाः’

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic depiction of Kāma’s arrows during spring/ṛtu: a woman portrayed with dignified humanity, surrounded by floral season motifs; Kāma’s arrows appear as allegorical rays; a calm dharma-figure gestures toward restraint and mutual care.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Kāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames desire as a powerful force, urging responsible dharmic conduct particularly in the fertile period.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it remains part of the Somnātha-related didactic narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual; it references ṛtu-kāla (the proper season) as a dharmic consideration.