Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

कदाचिदपि स प्राप्तस्तस्मिन्क्षेत्रे मनोभवः । सह रत्या तथा प्रीत्या कामेश्वरदिदृक्षया

Transliteration

kadācidapi sa prāptastasminkṣetre manobhavaḥ | saha ratyā tathā prītyā kāmeśvaradidṛkṣayā

Translation

Un jour, Manobhava (Kāma) vint en ce lieu sacré, accompagné de Ratī et aussi de Prītī, désirant contempler Kāmeśvara.

Word by Word

• kadācit: once, at some time
• kadācit: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācit (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: 'at some time')

• api: also, even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: emphasis/also)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• prāptaḥ: arrived, reached
• prāptaḥ: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (धातु) + pra- (उपसर्ग) (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थकः (having arrived)

• tasmin: in that
• tasmin: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• kṣetre: in the sacred field/place
• kṣetre: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• manobhavaḥ: Manobhava (Kāma/Cupid)
• manobhavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas + bhava (प्रातिपदिक); √bhū (धातु) आधार
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मनसः भवः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-योगे अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable; governs instrumental)

• ratyā: with Rati
• ratyā: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• tathā: and likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: 'thus/also')

• prītyā: with Prīti
• prītyā: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prīti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• kāmeśvara-didṛkṣayā: with the desire to see Kāmeśvara
• kāmeśvara-didṛkṣayā: Hetu (Cause/Purpose/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāmeśvara (प्रातिपदिक) + didṛkṣā (प्रातिपदिक; desiderative noun from √dṛś)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कामेश्वरस्य दिदृक्षा), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; हेतौ/निमित्ते (instrumental of cause/purpose)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāmeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāma (Manobhava) arrives at a Śiva-kṣetra with Rati and Prīti, their retinue subdued by the sanctity of Kāmeśvara; the temple/linga aura dominates the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Kāma (Manobhava)
• Rati
• Prīti
• Kāmeśvara
• kṣetra (sacred region)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even forces of desire are drawn to divine darśana; the Purāṇic lens often turns such encounters into lessons on restraint, consequence, and sacred remedy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The kṣetra where Kāmeśvara is to be seen—within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya sacred landscape (connected to the Śilākhaṇḍā/saubhāgya-kūpikā narrative thread).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana-oriented pilgrimage intent is implied (kāmeśvara-didṛkṣā), but no explicit rite is stated in this verse.