Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

कामो मनोभवो विश्वः कुसुमायुधचापभृत् । स कामान् ददाति सर्वान् पूजितो मीनकेतनः

Transliteration

kāmo manobhavo viśvaḥ kusumāyudhacāpabhṛt | sa kāmān dadāti sarvān pūjito mīnaketanaḥ

Translation

กามเทพ ผู้เกิดจากใจ ผู้แผ่ซ่านไปทั่ว ผู้ถืออาวุธดอกไม้และคันธนู เมื่อได้รับการบูชาในนาม มีนเกตุ ย่อมประทานความปรารถนาทั้งปวง

Word by Word

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

• मनोभवः: Mind-born (epithet of Kāma)
• मनोभवः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्-भव (प्रातिपदिक; मनस् + भव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कामस्य उपनाम

• विश्वः: all-pervading; universal
• विश्वः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (कामः इति)

• कुसुमायुधचापभृत्: bearer of a bow and weapons of flowers
• कुसुमायुधचापभृत्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुसुम-आयुध-चाप-भृत् (प्रातिपदिक; कुसुम + आयुध + चाप + भृत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-समासः, कामस्य उपनाम

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कामान्: desires; wishes
• कामान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (कामान् इति)

• पूजितः: when worshipped; being worshipped
• पूजितः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मीनकेतनः: Mīnaketana (whose banner has a fish)
• मीनकेतनः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मीन-केतन (प्रातिपदिक; मीन + केतन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कामस्य उपनाम

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing the tīrtha/deity narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kusumeśvara (associated Kāma worship as Mīnaketana)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāma as Mīnaketana—banner marked with fish—holding a sugarcane/flower bow and floral arrows, receiving offerings; devotees pray for boons amid a riverside sacred grove.

Characters & Entities

• Kāma
• Manobhava
• Mīnaketana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire is not merely indulgence in Purāṇic dharma; when approached through worship and reverence, it is regulated and can yield lawful aims (kāmya-phala).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) region context continues; the verse specifically highlights Kāma’s worship in connection with the Kusumeśvara narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā (worship) of Kāma/Mīnaketana is indicated as the means to obtain desired boons.