Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

संतु नार्यः सहस्राणि रूपलावण्यभूमयः । परं निधुवने काले ह्येकैवेहोपयुज्यते

Transliteration

saṃtu nāryaḥ sahasrāṇi rūpalāvaṇyabhūmayaḥ | paraṃ nidhuvane kāle hyekaivehopayujyate

Translation

Quand bien même il y aurait des milliers de femmes, riches de beauté et de grâce, à l’heure de l’union intime, ici une seule est réellement engagée.

Word by Word

• सन्तु: let there be
• सन्तु: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; ‘let there be’

• नार्यः: women
• नार्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक

• रूपलावण्यभूमयः: abodes of beauty and charm
• रूपलावण्यभूमयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + लावण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रूपस्य लावण्यस्य भूमयः = abodes of beauty and grace)

• परम्: however
• परम्: Discourse connector (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परम् (अव्यय/विशेषण-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः; ‘however/but’

• निधुवने: in sexual enjoyment
• निधुवने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधुवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण

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

• हि: indeed
• हि: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; ‘indeed/for’

• एका: one
• एका: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नारी)

• एव: only
• एव: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात

• इह: here
• इह: Deśa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय; ‘here/in this matter’

• उपयुज्यते: is used
• उपयुज्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + √युज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive) ‘is used’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic composition: many elegantly adorned women appear in the background as temptations, while a single couple is shown faintly, and in the foreground a pilgrim turns away toward a Śiva-liṅga, indicating transcendence of desire.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sense-objects are many, but enjoyment is limited; this insight supports restraint and detachment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī Khaṇḍa (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī), but no individual tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a didactic observation aimed at reducing attachment.