Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

अहं दृष्ट्वा तथा रूपां नारीं कामेन पीडितः । तदा दानवशार्दूल वैक्लव्यं परमं गतः

Transliteration

ahaṃ dṛṣṭvā tathā rūpāṃ nārīṃ kāmena pīḍitaḥ | tadā dānavaśārdūla vaiklavyaṃ paramaṃ gataḥ

Translation

En voyant une femme d’une telle beauté, je fus tourmenté par le désir ; et alors, ô tigre parmi les Dānavas, je tombai dans la plus grande confusion et faiblesse.

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुषवाचक; एकवचन; प्रथमा (Nominative singular)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having seen’

• तथा: thus; so
• तथा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘thus/so’)

• रूपाम्: beautiful/with such form
• रूपाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (Accusative); एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘नारीम्’)

• नारीम्: woman
• नारीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (Accusative); एकवचन

• कामेन: by desire/lust
• कामेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (Instrumental); एकवचन

• पीडितः: afflicted; tormented
• पीडितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीड् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोगे विशेषण (agreeing with ‘अहम्’)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb: ‘then’)

• दानवशार्दूल: O tiger among demons
• दानवशार्दूल: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative); एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; तत्पुरुष-समास (‘दानवानां शार्दूलः’)

• वैक्लव्यम्: helplessness; agitation
• वैक्लव्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैक्लव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (Accusative); एकवचन

• परमम्: supreme; extreme
• परमम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘वैक्लव्यम्’)

• गतः: went; reached; fell into
• गतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; ‘अहम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण; अर्थे—‘प्राप्तः/गतवान्’

Speaker

Nārada (addressing a Dānava; as recalled/reported within Pulastya’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed ‘dānavśārdūla’ (listener within the story)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The onlooker’s posture shifts from wonder to agitation—eyes widened, body leaning forward, hands tense—while the radiant woman remains calm; the contrast shows inner turmoil against serene beauty.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Dānava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire can overpower the mind suddenly; recognizing this vulnerability is the first step toward restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is embedded in the Arbuda Khaṇḍa’s sacred-geography frame, though this verse itself is a moral confession.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it underscores inner discipline rather than external practice.