Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

दुर्द्दमोनाम विप्रेंद्रा विटगोष्ठीपरायणः । ललनाशतसंयुक्तो विवस्त्रः सलिलाशये

Transliteration

durddamonāma vipreṃdrā viṭagoṣṭhīparāyaṇaḥ | lalanāśatasaṃyukto vivastraḥ salilāśaye

Translation

ഹേ വിപ്രേന്ദ്രന്മാരേ, അവന്റെ പേര് ദുര്ദ്ദമ; അവൻ ഭോഗവിലാസസംഗമങ്ങളിൽ ആസക്തനായിരുന്നു. നൂറുകണക്കിന് സ്ത്രീകളാൽ ചുറ്റപ്പെട്ട് അവൻ ജലാശയത്തിൽ നിർവസ്ത്രനായി ക്രീഡിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• दुर्दमः: Durddama (name)
• दुर्दमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Appositional marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: संज्ञासूचक-अव्यय (particle indicating name)

• विप्र-इन्द्रः: chief of Brahmins
• विप्र-इन्द्रः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (विप्राणाम् इन्द्रः = श्रेष्ठब्राह्मणः)

• विट-गोष्ठी-परायणः: addicted to the company/assembly of rogues
• विट-गोष्ठी-परायणः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विट (प्रातिपदिक) + गोष्ठी (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सप्तमी/तत्पुरुषार्थक (विटगोष्ठ्याम् परायणः = तत्र आसक्तः)

• ललना-शत-संयुक्तः: accompanied by a hundred women
• ललना-शत-संयुक्तः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ललना (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + संयुक्त (कृदन्त; √युज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तृतीया/सह-भावार्थक तत्पुरुष (ललनाशतेन संयुक्तः)

• विवस्त्रः: naked
• विवस्त्रः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विवस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सलिल-आशये: in a watery place/pond
• सलिल-आशये: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल (प्रातिपदिक) + आशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सलिलस्य आशये)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hālāsya-nātha tīrtha

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A flamboyant gandharva amid a crowd of women at a lotus-filled pond, laughing and splashing; the sacred markers (nearby shrine/steps) contrast with the impropriety of naked revelry.

Characters & Entities

• Durddama (Gandharva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unrestrained sensuality and shameless conduct are portrayed as spiritually degrading and often become the cause of downfall in Purāṇic narratives.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse describes behavior at a water-resort (salilāśaya) within the unfolding Hālāsya/Hālāsya-nātha setting, preparing for the tīrtha’s moral authority.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it depicts improper conduct as a negative example.