Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

स्मरोऽपि न शशाकाथ प्रवेष्टुं हृदयं तयोः । विद्यामयं दीपयुतमन्धकार इवालयम्

Transliteration

smaro'pi na śaśākātha praveṣṭuṃ hṛdayaṃ tayoḥ | vidyāmayaṃ dīpayutamandhakāra ivālayam

Translation

แม้สมร (กามเทพ) ก็ไม่อาจเข้าสู่ดวงใจของทั้งสองได้—ดุจความมืดที่ไม่อาจย่างกรายสู่เรือนซึ่งสว่างไสวด้วยประทีปแห่งวิชชา

Word by Word

• स्मरः: Kāma (the god of love)
• स्मरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे ‘even/also’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• शशाक: was able
• शशाक: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• प्रवेष्टुम्: to enter
• प्रवेष्टुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/infinitival purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-विश् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), क्रियार्थक

• हृदयम्: heart
• हृदयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• तयोः: of the two (of them)
• तयोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), द्विवचन

• विद्यामयम्: made of knowledge
• विद्यामयम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विद्या + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (विद्यया मयम् = made of knowledge); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (आलयम् इति विशेषण)

• दीपयुतम्: provided with lamps
• दीपयुतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीप + युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दीपैः युतम् = furnished with lamps); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (आलयम् इति विशेषण)

• अन्धकारः: darkness
• अन्धकारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्धकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इव: like/as if
• इव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/comparison)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• आलयम्: a house/dwelling
• आलयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrthas (general Revākhaṇḍa setting)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two ascetics seated in meditation, their hearts depicted as a lamp-lit sanctum of knowledge; Kāma stands outside unable to enter, like darkness repelled by radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Smara (Kāma)
• Nara
• Nārāyaṇa
• Knowledge (Vidyā, metaphor)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire cannot overpower a heart illumined by knowledge; inner light is the true protection of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is primarily ethical-yogic; within Revā Khaṇḍa it supports the sanctity of ascetic spaces but does not name a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it teaches a principle: cultivate vidyā (spiritual knowledge) to dispel the darkness of passion.