Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

सुदर्शन उवाच । कासि भद्रे सुता कस्य रूपयौवनशालिनी । रूपमप्रतिमं ह्येतदाह्लादयति मे मनः

Transliteration

sudarśana uvāca | kāsi bhadre sutā kasya rūpayauvanaśālinī | rūpamapratimaṃ hyetadāhlādayati me manaḥ

Translation

สุทรรศนะกล่าวว่า: “โอ้แม่หญิงผู้แสนอ่อนโยน เจ้าเป็นใคร และเป็นธิดาของผู้ใด—งามผ่องด้วยรูปและวัยเยาว์? รูปโฉมอันหาที่เปรียบมิได้นี้ชื่นบานใจเรายิ่งนัก”

Word by Word

• सुदर्शनः: Sudarśana (name)
• सुदर्शनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुदर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• का: who (female)
• का: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• असि: are
• असि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• भद्रे: O auspicious one / lady
• भद्रे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th), एकवचन

• सुता: daughter
• सुता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कस्य: of whom / whose
• कस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• रूपयौवनशालिनी: possessing beauty and youth
• रूपयौवनशालिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूप + यौवन + शालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• रूपम्: beauty / form
• रूपम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अप्रतिमम्: incomparable
• अप्रतिमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ- + प्रतिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतु-भाव

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• आह्लादयति: gladdens
• आह्लादयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आह्लाद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (enclitic)

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Sudarśana

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra (Rāma-setu / Setubandha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages at Naimiṣāraṇya (standard frame, implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant maiden in a coastal sacred grove near the Setu; Sudarśana, a celestial youth, addresses her with wonder, palms slightly joined, sea and distant sandbars behind.

Characters & Entities

• Sudarśana
• the maiden

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Speech motivated by attraction must still move within dharma—identity, family lineage, and propriety are asked before any union.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setukṣetra remains the overarching sacred setting of the Setukhaṇḍa, though this verse is interpersonal dialogue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it concerns inquiry and intention rather than rite.