Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

वहमानो युवावस्थां द्वादशार्कस मद्युतिः । अंगैः सर्वैस्तु रूपाढ्यः कामदेव इवापरः

Transliteration

vahamāno yuvāvasthāṃ dvādaśārkasa madyutiḥ | aṃgaiḥ sarvaistu rūpāḍhyaḥ kāmadeva ivāparaḥ

Translation

Il portait la fleur de la jeunesse, resplendissant comme douze soleils ; tous ses membres étaient parés de beauté, tel un autre Kāma-deva.

Word by Word

• वहमानः: bearing / possessing
• वहमानः: Karta (Appositional/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वह् (धातु)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present middle participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• युवा-अवस्थाम्: youthful age
• युवा-अवस्थाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युवा (प्रातिपदिक) + अवस्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (युवनः अवस्था)

• द्वादश-अर्क-सम-द्युतिः: having splendor like twelve suns
• द्वादश-अर्क-सम-द्युतिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक) + द्युति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); समासः तत्पुरुष (द्वादशार्कसमः द्युतिः यस्य)

• अंगैः: with limbs
• अंगैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्वैः: all
• सर्वैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोधार्थक (particle: 'indeed/but')

• रूपाढ्यः: rich in beauty
• रूपाढ्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); समासः तत्पुरुष (रूपेण आढ्यः = रूपसम्पन्नः)

• कामदेवः: Kāmadeva
• कामदेवः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कामदेव (प्रातिपदिक: काम + देव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); समासः तत्पुरुष

• इव: like
• इव: Upama-marker (Comparison/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमार्थक (comparative particle: 'like')

• अपरः: another
• अपरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unnamed audience (ṛṣis/śrotṛ-gaṇa implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage Vatsa appears youthful and dazzling, his body suffused with light, compared to twelve suns; his beauty evokes Kāma yet remains ascetic in bearing.

Characters & Entities

• Vatsa
• Kāmadeva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas portray spiritual power as luminous and attractive—true tapas can manifest as extraordinary radiance and auspicious presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is character-description; the tīrtha-glorification belongs to the broader Tīrthamāhātmya context of the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an encomium describing the sage’s brilliance and beauty.