Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

सा तीव्रमन्मथाविष्टा रूपयौवनशालिनी । विधवापि विशेषेण जारमार्गरताभवत्

Transliteration

sā tīvramanmathāviṣṭā rūpayauvanaśālinī | vidhavāpi viśeṣeṇa jāramārgaratābhavat

Translation

激しい恋欲に取り憑かれ、美と若さを備えた彼女は、寡婦でありながら、とりわけ密通の恋人の道に耽った。

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तीव्रमन्मथाविष्टा: possessed by intense passion (Cupid)
• तीव्रमन्मथाविष्टा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीव्र-मनमथ-आविष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; तीव्र + मन्मथ + आविष्ट)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृदन्तः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘आविष्ट’; समासः तत्पुरुषः (तीव्रेण मन्मथेन आविष्टा/आविष्टा मन्मथेन)

• रूपयौवनशालिनी: endowed with beauty and youth
• रूपयौवनशालिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूप-यौवन-शालिन् (प्रातिपदिक; रूप + यौवन + शालिन्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; शालिन्-प्रातिपदिक; समासः तत्पुरुषः (रूपेण यौवनेन च शालिनी)

• विधवा: a widow
• विधवा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपि: even though
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपवाद/समुच्चय (even/also)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणत्वेन (instrumental used adverbially)

• जारमार्गरता: devoted to the path of a lover (illicit liaison)
• जारमार्गरता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जार-मार्ग-रत (प्रातिपदिक; जार + मार्ग + रत)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (जारस्य मार्गे रता)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/imperfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (context not specified in snippet; likely Purāṇic narrator such as Sūta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The widow, adorned yet inwardly tormented, stands at a threshold between home and night street; shadowy figure of a libertine implied; the contrast between white widow’s cloth and youthful ornaments underscores transgression.

Characters & Entities

• Manmatha (Kāma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When desire dominates, one may fall into adharma; the Purāṇic narrative warns against letting passion override righteous conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a cautionary narrative statement.