Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

तां दृष्ट्वा देवदैत्येन्द्रा मोहिता लभते कथम् । मृगयन्ति स्म तां कन्यामितश्चेतश्च भारत

Transliteration

tāṃ dṛṣṭvā devadaityendrā mohitā labhate katham | mṛgayanti sma tāṃ kanyāmitaścetaśca bhārata

Translation

ಅವಳನ್ನು ಕಂಡ ದೇವ-ದೈತ್ಯೇಂದ್ರರು ಮೋಹಿತರಾಗಿ ‘ಇವಳನ್ನು ಹೇಗೆ ಪಡೆಯುವುದು?’ ಎಂದು ಯೋಚಿಸಿ; ಹೇ ಭಾರತ, ಆ ಕನ್ಯೆಯನ್ನು ಇತ್ತಿಚ್ಚೆತ್ತ ಹುಡುಕತೊಡಗಿದರು।

Word by Word

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund/absolutive)

• देव: gods
• देव: Visheshya (विशेष्य/Member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग

• दैत्य: daityas
• दैत्य: Visheshya (विशेष्य/Member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग

• इन्द्राः: the chiefs
• इन्द्राः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (देव-दैत्य-इन्द्राः = ‘lords among gods and daityas’)

• मोहिताः: bewildered
• मोहिताः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• लभते: is obtained / can be attained
• लभते: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• मृगयन्ति: they seek/hunt for
• मृगयन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृगय् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्म: indeed/then (narrative)
• स्म: Kriya-anubandha (क्रियानुबन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: स्म-प्रयोग (particle indicating past/narrative emphasis)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कन्याम्: the maiden
• कन्याम्: Karma (कर्म/Object - apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• इतश्: from here/this way
• इतश्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: दिशावाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘from here/this side’)

• चेतः: mind
• चेतः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative sense: ‘in mind’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समुच्चय-प्रयोगे (paired with इतश्चेतश्च)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एतश्: from there/that way
• एतश्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: दिशावाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘from there/that side’)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator addressing Bhārata (Yudhiṣṭhira lineage epithet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (epic-style addressee within narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Deva and Daitya leaders, captivated, scan the directions searching for the maiden; their faces show confusion and longing, movement in multiple directions.

Characters & Entities

• Deva-indras (leaders of gods)
• Daitya-indras (leaders of demons)
• Bhārata
• The maiden (unnamed here)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even powerful beings fall into moha when desire dominates; dharma requires restraint and discernment rather than possessive pursuit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is identified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.