Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

एवं दृष्टः स देवेन सशरः सशरासनः । भस्मीभूतो गतः कामो विनाशः सर्वदेहिनाम्

Transliteration

evaṃ dṛṣṭaḥ sa devena saśaraḥ saśarāsanaḥ | bhasmībhūto gataḥ kāmo vināśaḥ sarvadehinām

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ ദേവന്റെ ദൃഷ്ടിയിൽപ്പെട്ടതുമാത്രം കാമൻ—അമ്പുകളും ധനുസ്സും സഹിതം—ഭസ്മമായി അകന്നു; ദേഹധാരികൾക്ക് വിനാശകാരകമായ കാമനയായി മാറി।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• दृष्टः: seen
• दृष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (having been seen)

• सः: he (that one)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• देवेन: by the god
• देवेन: Karana (Instrument/करणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स-शरः: with arrows
• स-शरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय ‘सहित’) + शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; स-उपपद-तत्पुरुष (शरैः सहितः)

• स-शरासनः: with bow
• स-शरासनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय ‘सहित’) + शरासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; स-उपपद-तत्पुरुष (शरासनेन/धनुषा सहितः)

• भस्मी-भूतः: turned to ashes
• भस्मी-भूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्म (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (कृदन्त; भू धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (भस्म इव/भस्मरूपं भूतः = reduced to ashes)

• गतः: went, perished
• गतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (went, departed)

• कामः: Kāma (Cupid/desire)
• कामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विनाशः: destruction
• विनाशः: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate noun)

• सर्व-देहिनाम्: of all embodied beings
• सर्व-देहिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध) विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां देहिनाम्)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator), by context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Madana-dahana-smṛti-sthāna (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāma, holding bow and arrows, is caught in Śiva’s gaze; in an instant he collapses into a small heap of ash; the bow and arrows fall inert; the air clears from frenzy to stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Kāma (Madana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire, when unchecked, destroys embodied beings; Śiva’s act symbolizes the conquest of kāma through higher awareness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative is situated in the Gaṅgā-sāgara context within Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse narrates Kāma’s destruction and its moral implication.