Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

कामदेवोऽपि कुष्ठेन ग्रस्तो रौद्रेण च द्विजाः । शीर्णनासांघ्रिपाणिश्च नेत्राणामप्रियोऽभवत्

Transliteration

kāmadevo'pi kuṣṭhena grasto raudreṇa ca dvijāḥ | śīrṇanāsāṃghripāṇiśca netrāṇāmapriyo'bhavat

Translation

«Kāmadeva aussi, ô deux-fois-nés, fut saisi d’une lèpre terrible ; son nez, ses pieds et ses mains se décomposèrent, et il devint pénible à regarder.»

Word by Word

• कामदेवः: Kāmadeva (god of love)
• कामदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कामदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कामस्य देवः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे ‘also/even’

• कुष्ठेन: by leprosy
• कुष्ठेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ग्रस्तः: afflicted, seized
• ग्रस्तः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रस् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘seized/afflicted’—कामदेवस्य विशेषणम्

• रौद्रेण: by a fierce (condition)
• रौद्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘fierce (disease/condition)’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (O brāhmaṇas)

• शीर्ण: withered
• शीर्ण: Qualifier within compound
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शॄ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-समासपूर्वपद; ‘decayed, withered’—समासपूर्वपदम्

• नास: nose
• नास: Compound member
• Type: Noun
• Root: नासा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, समासपूर्वपद (nose)

• अङ्घ्रि: foot
• अङ्घ्रि: Compound member
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्घ्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, समासपूर्वपद (foot)

• पाणिः: hand
• पाणिः: Compound member
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, समासपूर्वपद (hand)

• शीर्णनासअङ्घ्रिपाणिः: having withered nose, feet and hands
• शीर्णनासअङ्घ्रिपाणिः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीर्ण (कृदन्त) + नासा (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्घ्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समासः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘whose nose, feet and hands are withered’—कामदेवस्य विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• नेत्राणाम्: of the eyes
• नेत्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अप्रियः: unpleasant, displeasing
• अप्रियः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘unpleasant/displeasing’

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration from 51)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ / dvijasattamāḥ (brahmin audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāmadeva, once radiant, now afflicted with severe kuṣṭha: decayed nose, hands, and feet; his beauty eclipsed, evoking pity and cosmic alarm. Brahmins (dvijāḥ) witness and lament the ominous sign.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Kāmadeva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even cosmic forces like desire (kāma) are subject to dharma; when distorted, they bring suffering and imbalance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this line; it sets up the wider tīrtha-māhātmya consequence narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it describes affliction as a narrative turning point.