Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

शोभनं पुरुषं दृष्ट्वा सर्वा अपि वराङ्गनाः । क्लेदभावं ततो जग्मुर्मुदा दारुवनस्त्रियः

Transliteration

śobhanaṃ puruṣaṃ dṛṣṭvā sarvā api varāṅganāḥ | kledabhāvaṃ tato jagmurmudā dāruvanastriyaḥ

Translation

Voyant cet homme splendide, toutes les femmes aux beaux membres—les femmes de Dāruvana—furent saisies d’un frémissement joyeux, le cœur fondu d’allégresse.

Word by Word

• śobhanam: handsome, splendid
• śobhanam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śobhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• puruṣam: man
• puruṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• sarvāḥ: all
• sarvāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषणवत्

• api: also, even
• api: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), ‘also/even’

• varāṅganāḥ: excellent women
• varāṅganāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara-aṅganā (प्रातिपदिक; vara + aṅganā)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (‘excellent women’)

• kledabhāvam: a state of moistening/melting (emotional softening)
• kledabhāvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kleda-bhāva (प्रातिपदिक; kleda + bhāva)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Kāla/Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Temporal/Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), ‘then/from that’

• jagmuḥ: went/attained
• jagmuḥ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• mudā: with joy
• mudā: Hetu/Karaṇa (Cause/Instrumental sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mudā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; भाववाचक

• dāruvanastriyaḥ: the women of Dāruvana
• dāruvanastriyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāruvana-strī (प्रातिपदिक; dāruvana + strī)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (‘women of Dāruvana’)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dāruvana (narrative-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: All the women of the forest, fair-limbed, turn toward a strikingly handsome figure; their posture softens, faces flush with delighted agitation; the forest hermitage becomes a stage of sudden emotional ‘melting’.

Characters & Entities

• Daruvana
• Daruvana women
• Śiva (implied as the ‘handsome man’)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse illustrates how sensory attraction can quickly overwhelm self-control, urging vigilance and inner discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Daruvana is the named locale; its inclusion in Revā Khaṇḍa supports the Purāṇic mapping of sacred places and exemplary events.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative description of emotional disturbance.