Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

यूनां त्रिभुवनस्थानां सांबोऽतीव सुरूपवान् । स्वभावचंचलाक्षीणां चेतोवृत्तिः सुचंचला

Transliteration

yūnāṃ tribhuvanasthānāṃ sāṃbo'tīva surūpavān | svabhāvacaṃcalākṣīṇāṃ cetovṛttiḥ sucaṃcalā

Translation

ത്രിഭുവനത്തിലെ യുവാക്കളിൽ സാംബൻ അത്യന്തം സുന്ദരൻ; സ്വഭാവത്തിൽ ചഞ്ചലനേത്രങ്ങളുള്ള സ്ത്രീകളുടെ ചിത്തവൃത്തിയും അത്യന്തം ചഞ്ചലമാണ്.

Word by Word

• यूनाम्: of young men
• यूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युवन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• त्रिभुवनस्थानाम्: of those dwelling in the three worlds
• त्रिभुवनस्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + भुवन + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• सांबः: Sāmba
• सांबः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अतीव: exceedingly
• अतीव: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतीव (अव्यय)
• Form: अतिशयार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: exceedingly)

• सुरूपवान्: very handsome
• सुरूपवान्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + रूपवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘सांबः’)

• स्वभावचञ्चलाक्षीणाम्: of women with naturally restless eyes
• स्वभावचञ्चलाक्षीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वभाव + चञ्चल + अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘of women whose eyes are naturally fickle’ (अक्षि-शब्दः स्त्रीप्रयोगे)

• चेतोवृत्तिः: the mind’s tendency/mental disposition
• चेतोवृत्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सुचञ्चला: very fickle
• सुचञ्चला: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + चञ्चला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘चेतोवृत्तिः’)

Speaker

Nārada

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame audience of sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reflective tableau: Sāmba’s youthful beauty is implied rather than displayed; Kṛṣṇa and Nārada contemplate the volatility of desire and the mind’s quick turns, suggesting the need for restraint and protective dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Sāmba
• Three Worlds (Tribhuvana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Beauty and youth intensify temptation; dharma therefore emphasizes self-restraint and careful conduct to prevent harm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised; the verse provides character-and-cause analysis within the Dvārakā episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive, setting up an ethical warning about desire and instability of mind.