Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

तदा कामो द्रुतं गृह्य पुष्पचापं तमभ्यगात् । कन्दर्प्पं सहसा दृष्ट्वा सन्धितेषुं सुदुर्जयम्

Transliteration

tadā kāmo drutaṃ gṛhya puṣpacāpaṃ tamabhyagāt | kandarppaṃ sahasā dṛṣṭvā sandhiteṣuṃ sudurjayam

Translation

ତେବେ କାମଦେବ ଶୀଘ୍ର ପୁଷ୍ପଧନୁ ଧରି ତାଙ୍କ ନିକଟକୁ ଗଲେ। ହଠାତ୍ ବାଣ ସନ୍ଧାନ କରିଥିବା, ଦୁର୍ଜୟ କନ୍ଦର୍ପକୁ ଦେଖି (ଶିବ ଚଳିତ ହେଲେ)।

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• कामः: Kāma
• कामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; देवता/व्यक्ति (Kāma)

• द्रुतम्: quickly
• द्रुतम्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: druta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverbial accusative): 'quickly'

• गृह्य: having taken
• गृह्य: Purvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √grah (धातु √ग्रह्)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भाव (gerund/absolutive): 'having taken'

• पुष्पचापम्: the flower-bow
• पुष्पचापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa + cāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पुष्पाणां चापः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अभ्यगात्: approached
• अभ्यगात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi + √gam (धातु √गम्)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कन्दर्पम्: Kandarpa
• कन्दर्पम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kandarpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (Kandarpa = Kāma)

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasā (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय: 'suddenly/at once'

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś + tvā (धातु √दृश्)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भाव (gerund): 'having seen'

• सन्धितेषुम्: him with an aimed arrow
• सन्धितेषुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sandhita + iṣu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सन्धितः इषुः यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'one whose arrow is fixed/aimed'

• सुदुर्जयम्: very hard to conquer
• सुदुर्जयम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + durjaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (अतिशयेन दुर्जयः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāma-āgama episode (prelude to Kāma-dahana) within Arbuda māhātmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārthiva-sattama (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāma, youthful and radiant, lifts a flower-bow; his arrow is already set as he approaches the meditative Śiva. The moment is suspended—beauty and threat intertwined, with tension between desire and ascetic immovability.

Characters & Entities

• Kāma
• Kandarpa
• Śiva (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire (kāma) is portrayed as a powerful force that tests even great beings, underscoring the purāṇic emphasis on mastery over the senses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None in this verse; it is part of a mythic prelude within the Arbuda Khaṇḍa narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.