Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

यावन्न हरिणाक्षीणामपांगविवरेक्षिताः । मया व्यवसितं चित्ते तदानीं तां जिहीर्षुणा

Transliteration

yāvanna hariṇākṣīṇāmapāṃgavivarekṣitāḥ | mayā vyavasitaṃ citte tadānīṃ tāṃ jihīrṣuṇā

Translation

മൃഗനയനികളായ യുവതികളുടെ അപാംഗകടാക്ഷങ്ങൾ എന്നെ ഭേദിക്കാത്തതുവരെ എന്റെ ചിത്തത്തിലെ നിശ്ചയം ദൃഢമായിരുന്നു; എന്നാൽ അവളെ ഹരിക്കണമെന്ന ആഗ്രഹം ഉദിച്ച ഉടൻ അത് കുലുങ്ങി.

Word by Word

• यावत्: until, as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालपरिमाणवाचक-अव्ययम् (as long as/until)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation)

• हरिणाक्षीणाम्: of the doe-eyed (women)
• हरिणाक्षीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरिण + अक्षी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः (of doe-eyed women)

• अपाङ्गविवर: the corner-opening (of the eye)
• अपाङ्गविवर: Adhikarana (as part of locative compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपाङ्ग + विवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषे पूर्वपदम्; समासाङ्ग (in the corner-opening of the eye)

• ईक्षिताः: glanced/seen
• ईक्षिताः: Kriya (Participial predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष् (धातु) + क्त (PPP)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; कर्मणि (seen/looked)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• व्यवसितम्: resolved, determined
• व्यवसितम्: Kriya (Participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + अव + सॆ/सद्?; here √वस्/√सि? idiomatically ‘vy-ava-sā’ (धातु: अवस/वस्) + क्त (PPP)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; भावे (resolved/decided)

• चित्ते: in (my) mind
• चित्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अधिकरणे (in the mind)

• तदानीम्: then, at that moment
• तदानीम्: Sambandha (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदानीम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (at that time)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• जिहीर्षुणा: by (me) wishing to seize/take (her)
• जिहीर्षुणा: Karana (Instrument/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृ (धातु) + desiderative (सन्) जिहीर्षु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; हेतौ/करणे (by one wishing to take away)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating within Māheśvara-khaṇḍa to the sages (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unspecified (address implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up emphasis on the maiden’s sidelong glance (apāṅga) and the narrator’s inner wavering—depict the glance as a subtle ‘arrow’ without Kāma’s physical presence; the moment of saṅkalpa turning into intent to abduct.

Characters & Entities

• Gālava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sense-contact (especially through sight) can destabilize resolve; dharma requires mastery of attention and intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred geography is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse highlights inner discipline rather than an external rite.