Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

क्रीडार्थं पर्वतश्रेष्ठे तां ददर्श शुभेक्षणाम् । ततः कामशरैर्विद्धस्तामुवाच सुमध्यमाम्

Transliteration

krīḍārthaṃ parvataśreṣṭhe tāṃ dadarśa śubhekṣaṇām | tataḥ kāmaśarairviddhastāmuvāca sumadhyamām

Translation

ക്രീഡാർത്ഥം ആ പർവ്വതശ്രേഷ്ഠത്തിലേക്ക് വന്ന അവൻ ശുഭനേത്രിയായ അവളെ കണ്ടു. തുടർന്ന് കാമശരങ്ങളാൽ വേദനപ്പെട്ടവനായി ആ സുമധ്യമയോട് സംസാരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• क्रीडार्थम्: for play
• क्रीडार्थम्: Hetu (Purpose/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रीडा (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणार्थे), तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः; अर्थः—क्रीडायै (for play)

• पर्वतश्रेष्ठे: on the best mountain
• पर्वतश्रेष्ठे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरणे (locative)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मपदम्

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• शुभेक्षणाम्: of auspicious gaze
• शुभेक्षणाम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक) + ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ताम् इति विशेषणम्

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Temporal/कालवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, काल/अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereupon)

• कामशरैः: by the arrows of desire
• कामशरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करणम् (instrument)

• विद्धः: pierced/struck
• विद्धः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यध्/विध् (धातु) → विद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तरि/कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘pierced/struck’

• ताम्: to her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मपदम्

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सुमध्यमाम्: slender-waisted (lady)
• सुमध्यमाम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + मध्यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ताम् इति विशेषणम् (vocative-sense in address though case is accusative as epithet)

Speaker

Narrator (Pulastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, arriving for play on the mountain, beholds the auspicious-eyed maiden near the stream; a subtle visual of Kāma’s arrows (or a flutter in Indra’s heart) indicates desire; he steps forward to speak.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Kāma (personified desire)
• Mountain (Arbuda context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even exalted beings can be stirred by desire; Purāṇic dharma uses such scenes to foreground discernment and the moral testing that occurs in sacred landscapes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Arbuda Khaṇḍa setting (mountain and tīrtha environs) is being elevated as a sanctified stage where divine events unfold.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is narrative description preparing for dialogue and consequence.