Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 152

Devanagari script

मध्यक्षामा सुकेशी च बिंबोष्ठी दीर्घलोचना । तामहं वीक्षयित्वा तु कामदेववशं गतः

Transliteration

madhyakṣāmā sukeśī ca biṃboṣṭhī dīrghalocanā | tāmahaṃ vīkṣayitvā tu kāmadevavaśaṃ gataḥ

Translation

അവൾ മദ്ധ്യത്തിൽ സുന്ദരമായി സ്ലിം, സുകേശിനി, ബിംബഫലസമമായ അധരങ്ങളുള്ളവൾ, ദീർഘനയനയുമായിരുന്നു. അവളെ കണ്ടയുടൻ ഞാൻ കാമദേവന്റെ വശത്തിലായി.

Word by Word

• मध्यक्षामा: slender-waisted
• मध्यक्षामा: Karta (Adjectival to सा/ताम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षामा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (slender in the waist/middle)

• सुकेशी: beautiful-haired
• सुकेशी: Karta (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय) + केशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (having beautiful hair)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• बिम्बोष्ठी: with lips like bimba-fruit
• बिम्बोष्ठी: Karta (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बिम्ब (प्रातिपदिक) + ओष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + इन् (तद्धित/प्रातिपदिक-निर्माण)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; उपमान-तत्पुरुषः (bimba-iva oṣṭhau yasyāḥ)

• दीर्घलोचना: long-eyed
• दीर्घलोचना: Karta (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक) + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (long-eyed)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• वीक्षयित्वा: having looked at/seen
• वीक्षयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive/पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वीक्ष् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having seen)

• तु: then/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• कामदेववशम्: under the sway of Kāma (love-god)
• कामदेववशम्: Gati (Goal/state as object/गति-भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कामदेव (प्रातिपदिक) + वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (kāmadevasya vaśaḥ)

• गतः: went/became
• गतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः; पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; कर्तरि-प्रयोगार्थं (I became/went)

Speaker

Unnamed narrator (male devotee/king-like figure) within the Tīrthamāhātmya dialogue frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close, poetic portraiture: the maiden’s slender waist, glossy hair, bimba-red lips, and long eyes; the narrator’s face shows sudden enthrallment under Kāma’s influence.

Characters & Entities

• Kāmadeva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a moment’s perception can awaken desire; dharma requires awareness and restraint so attraction does not overrule right conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sits inside the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya flow; the snippet itself highlights the narrative catalyst rather than naming a tirtha explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is descriptive and narrative.