Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

प्रियं गाढं समालिंग्य चुचुंब रतिलोलुपा । मोक्षादप्यधिकं सौख्यं वृंदा मोहनसंभवम्

Transliteration

priyaṃ gāḍhaṃ samāliṃgya cucuṃba ratilolupā | mokṣādapyadhikaṃ saukhyaṃ vṛṃdā mohanasaṃbhavam

Translation

അനുരാഗവതിയായ വൃന്ദ പ്രിയതമനെ ഗാഢമായി പുണരുകയും ചുംബിക്കുകയും ചെയ്തു. ആ മോഹനസംയോഗത്തിൽ നിന്നുള്ള സുഖം മോക്ഷത്തേക്കാളും വലുതാണെന്ന് അവൾ കരുതി.

Word by Word

• प्रियम्: the beloved (man)
• प्रियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• गाढम्: tightly, firmly
• गाढम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गाढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत्—‘firmly/tightly’

• समालिङ्ग्य: having embraced
• समालिङ्ग्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आलिङ्ग् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); ‘having embraced’

• चुचुम्ब: she kissed
• चुचुम्ब: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चुम्ब् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• रतिलोलुपा: eager for erotic pleasure
• रतिलोलुपा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रति (प्रातिपदिक) + लोलुप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘रतौ लोलुपा’ (eager for love/pleasure)

• मोक्षात्: than liberation
• मोक्षात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अपादान (comparison: ‘than’)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-कारक-निपात (even/also)

• अधिकम्: greater
• अधिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सौख्यं विशेषयति

• सौख्यम्: happiness, pleasure
• सौख्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म/वेद्य (what is considered/experienced)

• वृंदा: Vṛndā
• वृंदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृंदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्ता

• मोहनसंभवम्: born of delusion/enchantment
• मोहनसंभवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोहन (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सौख्यं विशेषयति—‘मोहनात् सम्भवम्’ (arising from enchantment)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; explicitly identified as Nārada beginning at 51)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vṛndāvana (narrative locus)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vṛndā, overcome with passion, embraces and kisses her beloved in a moonlit grove; the atmosphere is intoxicating, suggesting mohana and overwhelming sweetness.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛndā
• Hari (implied as the beloved)
• Mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It warns that māyā-born pleasure can appear more desirable than mokṣa, illustrating how delusion can eclipse spiritual discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; the immediate line focuses on the Vṛndā narrative rather than naming a particular tīrtha in this śloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed in this verse.