Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

तस्य कामात्मदेहस्य दर्शनार्थं समुत्सुकाः । काश्चिदर्धानुलिप्तांग्यः काश्चिदेकांजितेक्षणाः

Transliteration

tasya kāmātmadehasya darśanārthaṃ samutsukāḥ | kāścidardhānuliptāṃgyaḥ kāścidekāṃjitekṣaṇāḥ

Translation

Désireuses de voir sa forme enchanteresse pour le désir, certaines vinrent le corps à demi oint (dans la hâte), et d’autres n’avaient qu’un seul œil souligné de khôl.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; Masculine/Neuter Genitive Singular

• कामात्मदेहस्य: of the body whose nature is desire
• कामात्मदेहस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम + आत्मन् + देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; Genitive Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुष (निर्धारण/सम्बन्ध)

• दर्शनार्थम्: for the purpose of seeing
• दर्शनार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; Accusative Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुष (उद्देश्य/प्रयोजन)

• समुत्सुकाः: eager, curious
• समुत्सुकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समुत्सुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; Nominative Plural (used adjectivally)

• काश्चित्: some (women)
• काश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; Indefinite pronoun ‘some (women)’

• अर्धानुलिप्ताङ्ग्यः: with bodies half-anointed/smeared
• अर्धानुलिप्ताङ्ग्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्ध + अनुलिप्त + अङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; Nominative Plural; समासः—तत्पुरुष (विशेषण-समास)

• काश्चित्: some (women)
• काश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; Indefinite pronoun ‘some (women)’

• एकाञ्जितेक्षणाः: with one eye/one side of the eyes anointed (with collyrium)
• एकाञ्जितेक्षणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक + अञ्जित + ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; Nominative Plural; समासः—तत्पुरुष (विशेषण-समास)

Speaker

Narrator within the chapter

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A street-side moment: women rush out mid-adornment—half-oiled limbs, one eye lined—faces turned toward a radiant, desire-enchanting figure passing by.

Characters & Entities

• Sāmba (implied)
• Women onlookers

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unchecked fascination with outward beauty becomes a narrative device in Purāṇas to highlight later restraint, consequence, and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it continues the chapter’s larger tīrtha framework (Puṇyahrada/Kuharavāsa) while shifting into the Sāmba legend.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes hurried preparation for viewing, emphasizing the intensity of curiosity.