Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23
स्मरः सहायो भविता वसन्तश्च वराङ्गनाः । रूपं वयः समालोक्य मदनोद्दीपनं परम् । कन्दर्पवशमभ्येति विवशः को न मानवः
smaraḥ sahāyo bhavitā vasantaśca varāṅganāḥ | rūpaṃ vayaḥ samālokya madanoddīpanaṃ param | kandarpavaśamabhyeti vivaśaḥ ko na mānavaḥ
Wahai para wanita mulia, Smara (Kāma) akan menjadi sekutu kamu, dan Musim Bunga juga. Melihat rupa dan usia muda—penyala hasrat yang paling kuat—manusia mana yang tidak, dalam ketidakberdayaan, tunduk kepada kuasa Kandarpa?
Indra (Śakra)
Tirtha: Gandhamādana (tapas-test setting)
Type: peak
Listener: Apsarases (varāṅganāḥ)
Scene: Apsarases adorned, accompanied by Madana and Vasanta; flowering trees, bees, and fragrant breezes contrast with the austere hermitage—an intentional clash of eros and asceticism.
FAQs
Desire is strengthened by external conditions (season, beauty, youth); spiritual practice requires awareness of such triggers and mastery over the senses.
No tīrtha is directly glorified; the verse is doctrinal/narrative about temptation within the Gandhamādana tapas context.
None; it describes psychological and cosmic supports of desire (Smara and Vasanta).