Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

तस्य कामात्मदेहस्य दर्शनार्थं समुत्सुकाः । काश्चिदर्धानुलिप्तांग्यः काश्चिदेकांजितेक्षणाः

Transliteration

tasya kāmātmadehasya darśanārthaṃ samutsukāḥ | kāścidardhānuliptāṃgyaḥ kāścidekāṃjitekṣaṇāḥ

Translation

Rindu untuk menyaksikan tubuhnya yang mempesona oleh daya asmara, sebahagian wanita datang dengan anggota badan hanya separuh disapu minyak (kerana tergesa), dan sebahagian lagi hanya sebelah mata disapukan celak.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; Masculine/Neuter Genitive Singular

• कामात्मदेहस्य: of the body whose nature is desire
• कामात्मदेहस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम + आत्मन् + देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; Genitive Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुष (निर्धारण/सम्बन्ध)

• दर्शनार्थम्: for the purpose of seeing
• दर्शनार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; Accusative Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुष (उद्देश्य/प्रयोजन)

• समुत्सुकाः: eager, curious
• समुत्सुकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समुत्सुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; Nominative Plural (used adjectivally)

• काश्चित्: some (women)
• काश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; Indefinite pronoun ‘some (women)’

• अर्धानुलिप्ताङ्ग्यः: with bodies half-anointed/smeared
• अर्धानुलिप्ताङ्ग्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्ध + अनुलिप्त + अङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; Nominative Plural; समासः—तत्पुरुष (विशेषण-समास)

• काश्चित्: some (women)
• काश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; Indefinite pronoun ‘some (women)’

• एकाञ्जितेक्षणाः: with one eye/one side of the eyes anointed (with collyrium)
• एकाञ्जितेक्षणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक + अञ्जित + ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; Nominative Plural; समासः—तत्पुरुष (विशेषण-समास)

Speaker

Narrator within the chapter

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A street-side moment: women rush out mid-adornment—half-oiled limbs, one eye lined—faces turned toward a radiant, desire-enchanting figure passing by.

Characters & Entities

• Sāmba (implied)
• Women onlookers

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unchecked fascination with outward beauty becomes a narrative device in Purāṇas to highlight later restraint, consequence, and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it continues the chapter’s larger tīrtha framework (Puṇyahrada/Kuharavāsa) while shifting into the Sāmba legend.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes hurried preparation for viewing, emphasizing the intensity of curiosity.