Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

मदनो हि बली लोके येन सर्वमिदं जगत् । जितमस्ति निजप्रौढ्या सदेवर्षिसमन्वितम्

Transliteration

madano hi balī loke yena sarvamidaṃ jagat | jitamasti nijaprauḍhyā sadevarṣisamanvitam

Translation

മദനൻ ലോകത്തിൽ അത്യന്തം ബലവാനാണ്; തന്റെ പ്രൗഢശക്തിയാൽ ഈ സമസ്ത ജഗത്തെയും ജയിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു—ദേവന്മാരും ദേവർഷിമാരും ഉൾപ്പെടെ।

Word by Word

• madanaḥ: Madana (Kāma)
• madanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• balī: powerful
• balī: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: balin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; गुणवाचक

• loke: in the world
• loke: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• yena: by whom; by which
• yena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक

• sarvam: all
• sarvam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘जगत्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• idam: this
• idam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘जगत्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• jagat: world
• jagat: Karma (Logical object of ‘conquered’/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• jitam: conquered
• jitam: Kriyā (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ji (धातु) + क्त (भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘जगत्’ इत्यस्य विधेय

• asti: is
• asti: Kriyā (Copula/अस्ति)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• nija-prauḍhyā: by his own prowess
• nija-prauḍhyā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nija-prauḍhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: निज + प्रौढि

• sa-devarṣi-samanvitam: together with the divine sages
• sa-devarṣi-samanvitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa + devarṣi + samanvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समास: स- (सह) + देवरषि + समन्वित (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/अव्ययीभाव-प्राय: ‘देवर्षिभिः सह समन्वितम्’)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra kṣetra (frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Madana is depicted as a triumphant cosmic force whose influence spans gods, sages, and the whole world—an allegorical panorama of desire’s dominion.

Characters & Entities

• Madana
• Kāma
• Devas
• Devarṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire is depicted as a pervasive force that can overwhelm even the exalted, urging disciplined living and discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra is the textual setting (Kedārakhaṇḍa), within which this teaching-story is situated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes the cosmic potency of Madana rather than a ritual act.