Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

कथं त्वया हि संदग्धः कामो हि दुरतिक्रमः । येन संघटितं विश्वमाब्रह्मस्थावरात्मकम्

Transliteration

kathaṃ tvayā hi saṃdagdhaḥ kāmo hi duratikramaḥ | yena saṃghaṭitaṃ viśvamābrahmasthāvarātmakam

Translation

Comment pourrais-tu, en vérité, consumer Kāma, si difficile à vaincre ? Car c’est par lui que tout cet univers est tenu ensemble, de Brahmā jusqu’aux êtres immobiles.

Word by Word

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• संदग्धः: burnt
• संदग्धः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + दह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

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

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• दुरतिक्रमः: hard to overcome
• दुरतिक्रमः: Kriya-Complement (Predicate complement/पूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + अतिक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (दुर्गतः अतिक्रमः/दुरतिक्रमः = difficult to cross), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण

• येन: by whom/which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• संघटितम्: is put together/constructed
• संघटितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + घट् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विश्वम्: universe
• विश्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• आब्रह्मस्थावरात्मकम्: having the nature from Brahmā down to immovables
• आब्रह्मस्थावरात्मकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + ब्रह्म + स्थावर + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/उपपद-तत्पुरुष (आब्रह्म = ब्रह्मपर्यन्तम्) + कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (स्थावरात्मक = स्थावरस्य आत्मा/स्वभावः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Ṛṣis (sages) addressing Śiva (Hara/Rudra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A debate-like moment: the speaker marvels at the paradox of Kāma being ‘burned’ though he binds the universe from Brahmā to immobile beings; cosmic hierarchy is evoked.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Kāma (Madana/Manmatha)
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire is a powerful cosmic force; overcoming it requires divine mastery, symbolized by Śiva’s transcendent control.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs in Kedārakhaṇḍa, connecting the narrative to the sacred Kedāra/Kedārnāth Himalayan sanctity, though this line itself is theological rather than descriptive.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed in this verse.