Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

वेश्योवाच । न मे वांछास्ति भोगेषु भूमौ स्वर्गे रसातले । तव पादांबुजस्पर्शादन्यत्किंचिन्न वै वृणे

Transliteration

veśyovāca | na me vāṃchāsti bhogeṣu bhūmau svarge rasātale | tava pādāṃbujasparśādanyatkiṃcinna vai vṛṇe

Translation

వేశ్య పలికింది—భూమిలోనైనా, స్వర్గంలోనైనా, రసాతలంలోనైనా నాకు భోగాలపై కోరిక లేదు. మీ పాదపద్మస్పర్శం తప్ప మరేదీ నేను కోరను.

Word by Word

• veśyā: the courtesan
• veśyā: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veśyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्) (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): निषेध (negation)

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

• vāñchā: desire
• vāñchā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāñchā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• asti: is
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस्) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• bhogeṣu: in enjoyments
• bhogeṣu: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• bhūmau: on earth
• bhūmau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• svarge: in heaven
• svarge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• rasātale: in the netherworld (Rasātala)
• rasātale: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rasātala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी, एकवचन

• pāda-ambuja-sparśāt: from the touch of (your) lotus-feet
• pāda-ambuja-sparśāt: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक) + ambuja (प्रातिपदिक) + sparśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समुच्चय: पादाः एव अम्बुजानि; तेषां स्पर्शः; तस्मात्); पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• anyat: anything else
• anyat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kiṃcit: something (at all)
• kiṃcit: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcid (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): निषेध

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): निश्चय/खलु (indeed)

• vṛṇe: I choose
• vṛṇe: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛ (वृ) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (वृणुते)

Speaker

Veśyā (the courtesan devotee)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva (Gaurīśa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The courtesan, adorned yet inwardly detached, bows low toward Śiva’s lotus feet, expressing total disinterest in worldly, heavenly, or nether pleasures; Śiva’s feet glow as the focal point.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied as Gaurīśa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion (bhakti) rejects all realms of pleasure and seeks only closeness to Śiva—symbolized by the touch of his lotus-feet.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred site is mentioned; the verse glorifies Śiva-bhakti itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is a vow-like declaration of exclusive devotion.