Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

कामान्धेनैव राजेन्द्र निक्षिप्तो मस्तके करः । तत्क्षणाद्भस्मसाद्भूतो दग्धस्तृणचयो यथा

Transliteration

kāmāndhenaiva rājendra nikṣipto mastake karaḥ | tatkṣaṇādbhasmasādbhūto dagdhastṛṇacayo yathā

Translation

“ข้าแต่จอมราชา ผู้ถูกกามบังตาได้วางมือลงบนศีรษะ; ในขณะนั้นเองเขากลายเป็นเถ้าธุลี—ดุจฟ่อนหญ้าแห้งถูกไฟเผาผลาญ”

Word by Word

• कामान्धेन: by one blinded by desire
• कामान्धेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• निक्षिप्तः: having been placed/thrown
• निक्षिप्तः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/कर्मणि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-क्षिप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• मस्तके: on the head
• मस्तके: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मस्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• करः: hand
• करः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्क्षणात्: from that very moment
• तत्क्षणात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• भस्मसात्: to ashes
• भस्मसात्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भस्मसात् (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: अव्यय (adverbial form meaning 'to ashes/into ash-state')

• भूतः: having become
• भूतः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भू (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• दग्धः: burnt
• दग्धः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तृणचयः: a heap of grass
• तृणचयः: Upamana (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण (प्रातिपदिक) + चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• यथा: as, like
• यथा: Upamana-dyotaka (उपमान-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle: 'as/like')

Speaker

Śiva (as narrator of the māhātmya) to the king (listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lust-blinded figure places his hand on a maiden’s head; instantly flames erupt and he collapses into ash like dry grass igniting—onlookers recoil; the air glows with supernatural heat.

Characters & Entities

• Rājendra (the king addressed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāma (unrestrained desire) blinds discernment and can bring sudden ruin; dharma requires self-control.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative context supports the later explicit glorification of Liṅgeśvara/Luṅkeśvara in the Revā (Narmadā) sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is a moral-illustration within the site’s māhātmya.