Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

सा भर्तृप्रेयसी नित्यं रूपमाधुर्यपेशला । भर्तारं वशमानिन्ये रूपवश्यादिकैतवैः

Transliteration

sā bhartṛpreyasī nityaṃ rūpamādhuryapeśalā | bhartāraṃ vaśamāninye rūpavaśyādikaitavaiḥ

Translation

അവൾ എപ്പോഴും ഭർത്താവിന് അതിപ്രിയയായിരുന്നു; രൂപമാധുര്യത്തിൽ മനോഹരി. രൂപവശീകരണം മുതലായ കപടോപായങ്ങളാൽ ഭർത്താവിനെ തന്റെ അധീനത്തിലാക്കി.

Word by Word

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

• भर्तृप्रेयसी: (her) husband's beloved
• भर्तृप्रेयसी: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रेयसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (husband's beloved)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (always)

• रूपमाधुर्यपेशला: charming with sweet beauty
• रूपमाधुर्यपेशला: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + माधुर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पेशल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (बहुपद) तत्पुरुष-प्रायः: रूपस्य माधुर्येण पेशला (charming due to beauty's sweetness)

• भर्तारम्: (her) husband
• भर्तारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• वशम्: into control
• वशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आनिन्ये: brought (him)
• आनिन्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-नी (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• रूपवश्यादिकैतवैः: by tricks such as beauty-based enchantment
• रूपवश्यादिकैतवैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + वश्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + कैतव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः (बहुपद) तत्पुरुषः: रूपवश्य-आदि-कैतवैः (by deceptions such as making (him) submissive through beauty)

Speaker

Śrī Devī (continuing narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni/assembly (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A domestic tableau of the past life: Bhāminī, alluring and confident, uses charm and subtle deceit to dominate her husband; the husband appears captivated, his agency diminished.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Devī
• Bhāminī
• Husband (brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charm without dharma becomes a cause of bondage—deception and manipulation create karmic consequences for all involved.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this is an ethical-karmic illustration within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it warns against kaitava (deceit) as adharma.