Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23
स्मरः सहायो भविता वसन्तश्च वराङ्गनाः । रूपं वयः समालोक्य मदनोद्दीपनं परम् । कन्दर्पवशमभ्येति विवशः को न मानवः
smaraḥ sahāyo bhavitā vasantaśca varāṅganāḥ | rūpaṃ vayaḥ samālokya madanoddīpanaṃ param | kandarpavaśamabhyeti vivaśaḥ ko na mānavaḥ
स्मरः सहायो भविता वसन्तश्च, वराङ्गनाः। रूपं वयश्च समालोक्य—मदनोद्दीपनं परम्—कः मानवः कन्दर्पवशं विवशो नाभ्येति?
Indra (Śakra)
Tirtha: Gandhamādana (tapas-test setting)
Type: peak
Listener: Apsarases (varāṅganāḥ)
Scene: Apsarases adorned, accompanied by Madana and Vasanta; flowering trees, bees, and fragrant breezes contrast with the austere hermitage—an intentional clash of eros and asceticism.
FAQs
Desire is strengthened by external conditions (season, beauty, youth); spiritual practice requires awareness of such triggers and mastery over the senses.
No tīrtha is directly glorified; the verse is doctrinal/narrative about temptation within the Gandhamādana tapas context.
None; it describes psychological and cosmic supports of desire (Smara and Vasanta).
Read Skanda Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.