Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

तनुमध्या पृथुश्रोणिर्वर्णोद्भिन्नपयोधरा । निःशाणितशरस्येव शक्तिः कुसुमधन्वनः

Transliteration

tanumadhyā pṛthuśroṇirvarṇodbhinnapayodharā | niḥśāṇitaśarasyeva śaktiḥ kusumadhanvanaḥ

Translation

ਉਹ ਤਨੁ-ਮੱਧਿਆ, ਵਿਸ਼ਾਲ ਸ਼੍ਰੋਣੀ ਵਾਲੀ, ਤੇਜਸਵੀ ਵਰਣ ਨਾਲ ਉਭਰੀਆਂ ਪਯੋਧਰਾਂ ਵਾਲੀ ਸੀ; ਜਿਵੇਂ ਪੁਸ਼ਪਧਨੁ ਕਾਮਦੇਵ ਦੀ ਸ਼ਕਤੀ, ਜਿਵੇਂ ਚੰਗੀ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਤਿੱਖੇ ਕੀਤੇ ਬਾਣ ਦੀ ਤਾਕਤ।

Word by Word

• तनु: slender
• तनु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (feminine nom/acc singular; adjectival)

• मध्या: having a waist/middle
• मध्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (feminine nominative singular; adjectival)

• पृथु: broad
• पृथु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृथु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (feminine nom/acc singular; adjectival)

• श्रोणिः: hips
• श्रोणिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रोणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine, nominative singular)

• वर्ण: color; complexion
• वर्ण: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (masculine, nom/acc singular)

• उद्भिन्न: bursting forth; swelling
• उद्भिन्न: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद् + भिद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle used adjectivally); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (feminine nom/acc singular)

• पयोधरा: breasts
• पयोधरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयोधर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine, nominative singular)

• निःशाणित: of a sharpened
• निःशाणित: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः + शाण् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle used adjectivally); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (masculine genitive singular)

• शरस्य: arrow
• शरस्य: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (masculine, genitive singular)

• इव: like/as
• इव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा-वाचक (indeclinable; comparative particle)

• शक्तिः: spear; power
• शक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine, nominative singular)

• कुसुम: flower
• कुसुम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुसुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nom/acc singular)

• धन्वनः: of the bowman (Kāma)
• धन्वनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (masculine, genitive singular)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇava Khaṇḍa narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra (contextual āśrama within)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant slim-waisted maiden in an āśrama grove, compared to Kāma’s sharpened arrow-power; creepers, blossoms, and a hermitage backdrop heighten the metaphor of desire as weapon.

Characters & Entities

• Kusumadhanvan (Kāma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse frames beauty as a potent force, preparing a dharmic lesson about restraint, discernment, and the safeguarding of tapas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative remains situated at Raibhya’s āśrama near Himavat, a sanctified locale within the Ayodhyā Māhātmya’s wider sacred map.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.