Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

वामः कामो मनुष्येषु सत्यमेतद्वचो यतः । स्पृहणीयासि सर्वेषामेवं पीडयसे वपुः

Transliteration

vāmaḥ kāmo manuṣyeṣu satyametadvaco yataḥ | spṛhaṇīyāsi sarveṣāmevaṃ pīḍayase vapuḥ

Translation

ମନୁଷ୍ୟମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ କାମନା ବାଙ୍କା ହୁଏ—ଏହି ବଚନ ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ସତ୍ୟ; ସମସ୍ତଙ୍କର ସ୍ପୃହଣୀୟା ହୋଇ ମଧ୍ୟ ତୁମେ ଏଭଳି ନିଜ ଦେହକୁ ପୀଡ଼ା ଦେଉଛ।

Word by Word

• वामः: perverse/contrary
• वामः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

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

• मनुष्येषु: among humans
• मनुष्येषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Determiner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; संकेतक (demonstrative)

• वचः: statement/word
• वचः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यतः: because/since
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कारणार्थक (causal)

• स्पृहणीयासि: you are to be desired/longed for
• स्पृहणीयासि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृहणीय (कृदन्त; √स्पृह् (धातु) + अनीय)
• Form: कृदन्त-विशेषण (gerundive/नीयत्); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘असि’ (लट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन) इति लुप्त-सम्बन्धः

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• एवम्: thus/in this way
• एवम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner)

• पीडयसे: you torment/afflict
• पीडयसे: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वपुः: body
• वपुः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmacārin/Vratī (ascetic) addressing Pārvatī

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A speaker admonishes Pārvatī: the world calls desire perverse; the maiden’s austerity is shown as bodily emaciation, contrasted with an unseen but implied Śiva beyond social norms.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Kāma (desire, as concept)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly desire is unstable and contradictory; true spiritual resolve may reject even what the world prizes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is moral-psychological reflection within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it contrasts worldly attraction with ascetic self-discipline.