Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 141

Devanagari script

कन्योवाच । के नाम न विरज्यंति ज्ञानाढ्या अपि मानवाः । कर्णांतलग्ननेत्रांतां दृष्ट्वा पीन पयोधराम्

Transliteration

kanyovāca | ke nāma na virajyaṃti jñānāḍhyā api mānavāḥ | karṇāṃtalagnanetrāṃtāṃ dṛṣṭvā pīna payodharām

Translation

Gadis itu berkata: “Siapakah yang tidak terusik oleh nafsu—bahkan orang yang kaya pengetahuan—tatkala melihat wanita berdada penuh, dengan mata seakan-akan sampai ke tepi telinga?”

Word by Word

• कन्या: the maiden
• कन्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• के: who
• के: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• नाम: indeed/ever
• नाम: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न/विस्मय-सूचक अव्यय (particle: indeed/ever)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• विरज्यन्ति: become dispassionate
• विरज्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + रञ्ज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद

• ज्ञानाढ्याः: rich in knowledge
• ज्ञानाढ्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• मानवाः: men/humans
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कर्णान्तलग्ननेत्रान्ताम्: whose eye-corners are fixed up to the ear-ends (i.e., long-eyed)
• कर्णान्तलग्ननेत्रान्ताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्णान्त (प्रातिपदिक) + लग्न (प्रातिपदिक) + नेत्रान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भाव (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having seen’

• पीन: full, plump
• पीन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचन (Acc. sg.)—पयोधराम् इति विशेषण

• पयोधराम्: a breast (bosom)
• पयोधराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयोधर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Kanyā (the maiden)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The maiden speaks with frankness; a stylized depiction of a beautiful woman appears as an illustrative vision—eyes elongated, ornaments, and sensuous form—while scholars look conflicted.

Characters & Entities

• Jñāna
• Rāga (attachment)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mere learning does not guarantee mastery over desire; vigilance and restraint are required for dharmic living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the broader moral teaching within a tīrtha-māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the focus is on psychological and ethical discipline.