Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

पार्वत्या वसतः सार्द्धं कामो दृष्टिपथं ययौ । वायुरूपः शिवं दृष्ट्वा कामः प्रोवाच शंकरम्

Transliteration

pārvatyā vasataḥ sārddhaṃ kāmo dṛṣṭipathaṃ yayau | vāyurūpaḥ śivaṃ dṛṣṭvā kāmaḥ provāca śaṃkaram

Translation

Tandis que Śiva demeurait auprès de Pārvatī, Kāma entra dans le champ de sa vue. Prenant la forme du vent, Kāma, voyant Śiva, s’adressa à Śaṅkara :

Word by Word

• पार्वत्या: with Pārvatī
• पार्वत्या: Sahakaraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• वसतः: of (him) dwelling
• वसतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वस् (धातु) → वसत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘शिवस्य’ इति शेषः—‘(शिवस्य) वसतः’

• सार्द्धम्: together with
• सार्द्धम्: Sambandha (Association/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्द्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (adverb/preposition: together with)

• कामः: Kāma (god of love)
• कामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दृष्टिपथम्: range of sight; field of vision
• दृष्टिपथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ययौ: went; came
• ययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• वायुरूपः: in the form of wind
• वायुरूपः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कामस्य) (वायोः रूपम् इव/वायुरूपेण)

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

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

• प्रोवाच: said; spoke forth
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• शंकरम्: to Śaṅkara
• शंकरम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in a Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva seated with Pārvatī in serene intimacy; Kāma, invisible, arrives as a swirling breeze—leaves and garments subtly lift, indicating his wind-form as he comes into Śiva’s sight.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Śiva
• Śaṅkara
• Kāma
• Vāyu (wind-form)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire (Kāma) is subtle and can approach even the great; the narrative sets up the teaching that spiritual life requires vigilance and mastery over impulses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is narrative setup within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; the specific tīrtha is not stated in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse introduces a doctrinally significant episode (Kāma’s approach) rather than prescribing a rite.