Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

अपश्यदाश्रमे तस्मिन्मुनिरायतलोचनाम् । नयनानलदाहेन विदग्धेन मनोभुवा

Transliteration

apaśyadāśrame tasminmunirāyatalocanām | nayanānaladāhena vidagdhena manobhuvā

Translation

Di pertapaan itu sang muni memandang gadis bermata lebar; namun ia sendiri sedang tersengat, terbakar oleh Kāma si lahir-dari-pikiran, oleh api menyala dari pandangan matanya.

Word by Word

• अपश्यत्: saw
• अपश्यत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (3rd person singular, imperfect, parasmaipada)

• आश्रमे: in the hermitage
• आश्रमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (masculine, locative singular)

• तस्मिन्: in that (place)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (pronoun; locative singular)

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular)

• आयत: long; wide
• आयत: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आयत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (feminine accusative singular; adjectival)

• लोचनाम्: (a woman) with eyes
• लोचनाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोचना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (feminine, accusative singular)

• नयन: eye
• नयन: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nom/acc singular)

• अनल: fire
• अनल: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (masculine, nom/acc singular)

• दाहेन: by the burning
• दाहेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (masculine, instrumental singular)

• विदग्धेन: by one who is scorched/consumed
• विदग्धेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + दह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle used adjectivally); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (masculine instrumental singular)

• मनोभुवा: by Manobhū (Kāma, born of mind)
• मनोभुवा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनोभू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (masculine, instrumental singular)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇava Khaṇḍa narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra (āśrama episode)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage in an āśrama sees a wide-eyed maiden; invisible Kāma is suggested as a heat-wave or flame emanating from her eyes, scorching the sage’s composure.

Characters & Entities

• Muni (sage)
• Manobhū (Kāma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire can arise even in sacred settings; dharma calls for awareness and mastery so tapas and spiritual purpose are not undone.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode occurs in the holy precincts of Raibhya’s āśrama near Himavat, part of the māhātmya’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is specified; the verse presents an ethical-spiritual situation (kāma vs. tapas).