Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

निरीक्षितस्तृतीयेन चक्षुषा परमेण हि । मदनस्तत्क्षणादेव ज्वालामालावृतोऽभवत् । हाहाकारो महानासीद्देवानां तत्र पश्यताम्

Transliteration

nirīkṣitastṛtīyena cakṣuṣā parameṇa hi | madanastatkṣaṇādeva jvālāmālāvṛto'bhavat | hāhākāro mahānāsīddevānāṃ tatra paśyatām

Translation

まことに、至高の第三の眼に見据えられるや、カーマ（マダナ）はたちまち炎の花鬘に包まれた。そこに居合わせた神々が見守る中、彼らの間に大いなる悲嘆の叫びが起こった。

Word by Word

• nirīkṣitaḥ: was looked at
• nirīkṣitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir + īkṣ (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (having been looked at)

• tṛtīyena: with the third
• tṛtīyena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tṛtīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (with the third)

• cakṣuṣā: with the eye
• cakṣuṣā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakṣus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• parameṇa: supreme
• parameṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (supreme)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निपात (indeed)

• madanaḥ: Madana
• madanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• tatkṣaṇāt: from that instant
• tatkṣaṇāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; पञ्चमी-अर्थे (from that very moment)

• eva: just; indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधारण-निपात (just/only)

• jvālāmālāvṛtaḥ: covered by a garland of flames
• jvālāmālāvṛtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jvālā (प्रातिपदिक) + mālā (प्रातिपदिक) + āvṛta (kṛ: ā-vṛ (धातु) + kta)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (ज्वालामालया आवृतः)

• abhavat: became
• abhavat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• hāhākāraḥ: a cry of ‘hā hā’ (lament)
• hāhākāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hāhākāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ध्वनिवाचक-नाम

• mahān: great
• mahān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (great)

• āsīt: was
• āsīt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• devānām: of the gods
• devānām: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचनम्

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक (there)

• paśyatām: while (they) were watching
• paśyatām: Sambandha (Genitive absolute/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paśy (धातु; dṛś)
• Form: शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त-प्रयोगः; षष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (genitive plural of present participle: of those who were watching)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa sages (explicitly addressed: ‘dvijāḥ’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva’s third eye opens like a sun; a stream of flame wreathes Kāma instantly; devas recoil, hands raised, faces stricken; the air filled with blazing garlands.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied by third eye)
• Kāmadeva (Madana)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire (kāma) is powerless before Śiva’s higher vision; spiritual realization burns away impulsive passion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is the Kedāra sacred landscape within the Kedārakhaṇḍa of the Māheśvarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; it narrates the event of Kāma being consumed by fiery power.