Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

ततो देवैः समादिष्टः कामदेवो वरानने । मृतभार्यं हरं गत्वा ततः पीडय सायकैः

Transliteration

tato devaiḥ samādiṣṭaḥ kāmadevo varānane | mṛtabhāryaṃ haraṃ gatvā tataḥ pīḍaya sāyakaiḥ

Translation

Kemudian, wahai Dewi berwajah elok, Kāmadeva—atas perintah para dewa—mendatangi Hara (Śiva) yang telah kehilangan permaisurinya, lalu mulai mengusiknya dengan anak panahnya.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kala/Sequence (क्रम/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदर्थक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) = 'then/from there'

• देवैः: by the gods
• देवैः: Karana/Agent-in-passive (करण/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• समादिष्टः: having been instructed/commanded
• समादिष्टः: Visheshana (Modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+आ+दिश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• कामदेवः: Kāmadeva
• कामदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कामस्य देवः)

• वरानने: O fair-faced one
• वरानने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरानना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मृतभार्यम्: one whose wife is dead
• मृतभार्यम्: Visheshana (Modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त; √मृ + क्त) + भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (मृता भार्या यस्य सः)

• हरम्: Hara (Śiva)
• हरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/क्त्वान्त), 'having gone'

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kala/Sequence (क्रम/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक

• पीडय: torment/afflict
• पीडय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड् (धातु) caus. (णिच्)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त

• सायकैः: with arrows
• सायकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from Purāṇic māhātmya narration style within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (vocative ‘varānane’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas instruct Kāma; Kāma approaches bereaved Hara and shoots flower-arrows to stir desire; the mood is tense—audacity before the ascetic Lord.

Characters & Entities

• Kāmadeva
• Devas
• Hara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even divine desire (kāma) cannot compel the ascetic resolve of Śiva; dharma is upheld when passions are restrained.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative is part of the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, ultimately glorifying Prabhāsa as Śiva’s chosen sacred abode after the event.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; it sets the mythic cause for later praise of Prabhāsa-kṣetra and its merits.