Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

समांसैर्भोजनैः स्निग्धैः पानैः सीधुसुरासवैः । गंधैर्मनोज्ञैर्वस्त्रैश्च कामः स्त्रीषु विजृंभति

Transliteration

samāṃsairbhojanaiḥ snigdhaiḥ pānaiḥ sīdhusurāsavaiḥ | gaṃdhairmanojñairvastraiśca kāmaḥ strīṣu vijṛṃbhati

Translation

മാംസസഹിതമായ സമൃദ്ധഭോജനങ്ങൾ, സ്നിഗ്ധാഹാരം, സീധു–സുരാ–ആസവം പോലുള്ള പാനങ്ങൾ; കൂടാതെ മനോഹര സുഗന്ധങ്ങളും വസ്ത്രങ്ങളും—ഇവയാൽ സ്ത്രീകളിൽ കാമം വിരിഞ്ഞുയരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• स: with
• स: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; विशेषण (adjectival)

• मांसैः: meats
• मांसैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• भोजनैः: foods/meals
• भोजनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• स्निग्धैः: rich/oily
• स्निग्धैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्निग्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying भोजनेभ्यः/पानेभ्यः)

• पानैः: drinks
• पानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• सीधु: fermented liquor (sīdhu)
• सीधु: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग); (in compound)

• सुरा: spirit/liquor
• सुरा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग); (in compound)

• असवैः: with sīdhu, surā, and asava drinks
• असवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः (द्वन्द्व): सीधु+सुरा+असव

• गन्धैः: with fragrances
• गन्धैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• मनोज्ञैः: pleasing
• मनोज्ञैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying गन्धैः/वस्त्रैः)

• वस्त्रैः: with garments
• वस्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कामः: desire/lust
• कामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• स्त्रीषु: among women
• स्त्रीषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• विजृम्भति: expands/arises strongly
• विजृम्भति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जृम्भ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; उपसर्ग: वि-; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya; exact speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sensory montage: platters of rich meat dishes, glossy foods, cups of sīdhu/surā/āsava, perfume flasks, fine garments—depicted as the ‘fuel’ that makes kāma rise like a flame.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Indulgence in sensory pleasures inflames kāma; Dharma is protected by moderation and disciplined living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, but this verse is an ethical reflection rather than direct tīrtha-praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it implicitly supports vrata-like restraint (niyama) by warning against indulgence.