Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

स्मरः सहायो भविता वसन्तश्च वराङ्गनाः । रूपं वयः समालोक्य मदनोद्दीपनं परम् । कन्दर्पवशमभ्येति विवशः को न मानवः

Transliteration

smaraḥ sahāyo bhavitā vasantaśca varāṅganāḥ | rūpaṃ vayaḥ samālokya madanoddīpanaṃ param | kandarpavaśamabhyeti vivaśaḥ ko na mānavaḥ

Translation

ഹേ വരാംഗികളേ, സ്മരൻ (കാമദേവൻ)യും വസന്തവും നിങ്ങളുടെ സഹായികളാകും. രൂപവും യൗവനവും—മദനനെ പരമമായി ഉത്തേജിപ്പിക്കുന്നവ—കണ്ട് ഏത് മനുഷ്യൻ വിവശനായി കന്ദർപ്പവശത്തിലേക്ക് വരാതിരിക്കും?

Word by Word

• स्मरः: Smara (Cupid)
• स्मरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सहायः: helper/ally
• सहायः: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (स्मरः)

• भविता: will be
• भविता: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (simple future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वसन्तः: Spring
• वसन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वराङ्गनाः: beautiful women
• वराङ्गनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + अङ्गना (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• रूपम्: beauty/form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वयः: youth/age
• वयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समालोक्य: having seen
• समालोक्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-√लोक् (धातु) → समालोक्य (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्)
• Form: अव्ययभावे क्त्वान्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• मदनोद्दीपनम्: arousal of desire (lit. kindling of Madana)
• मदनोद्दीपनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मदन + उद्दीपन (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेष्यभावे (समालोक्य)

• परम्: supreme/intense
• परम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (मदनोद्दीपनम्)

• कन्दर्पवशम्: the sway of Kāma
• कन्दर्पवशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्दर्प + वश (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अभ्येति: approaches/comes under
• अभ्येति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√इ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• विवशः: helpless
• विवशः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विवश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (मानवः)

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (here in rhetorical question: 'not?')

• मानवः: human
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Indra (Śakra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gandhamādana (tapas-test setting)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Apsarases (varāṅganāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Apsarases adorned, accompanied by Madana and Vasanta; flowering trees, bees, and fragrant breezes contrast with the austere hermitage—an intentional clash of eros and asceticism.

Characters & Entities

• Smara (Kāma)
• Vasanta (Spring)
• Kandarpa (Cupid)
• Indra (Śakra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire is strengthened by external conditions (season, beauty, youth); spiritual practice requires awareness of such triggers and mastery over the senses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly glorified; the verse is doctrinal/narrative about temptation within the Gandhamādana tapas context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes psychological and cosmic supports of desire (Smara and Vasanta).