Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

कामेश्वरपुरस्थं च तं दृष्ट्वा कुसुमायुधम् । अत्यंतविकृताकारं चिंतयानं महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

kāmeśvarapurasthaṃ ca taṃ dṛṣṭvā kusumāyudham | atyaṃtavikṛtākāraṃ ciṃtayānaṃ maheśvaram

Translation

เมื่อเห็นกุสุมายุธะ (กามเทพ) ประทับอยู่ ณ กาเมศวรปุระ และได้เห็นพระมหेशวรในสภาพบิดเบี้ยวอย่างยิ่ง จมอยู่ในห้วงกังวล พวกเขาก็ถูกครอบงำด้วยโศกและพิศวง

Word by Word

• कामेश्वरपुरस्थम्: situated in Kāmeśvara-city
• कामेश्वरपुरस्थम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कामेश्वरपुर (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कामेश्वरपुरे स्थितः), पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तं इति विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-निपात) — 'and'

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Sambandha (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund) — 'having seen'

• कुसुमायुधम्: Kusumāyudha (Kāma, 'flower-weaponed')
• कुसुमायुधम्: Karma (Object-apposition/कर्म-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुसुम (प्रातिपदिक) + आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कुसुमं आयुधं यस्य), पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कामदेव-नाम

• अत्यन्तविकृताकारम्: of extremely distorted form
• अत्यन्तविकृताकारम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अत्यन्त (अव्यय/उपपद) + विकृत (प्रातिपदिक) + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अत्यन्तं विकृतः आकारः यस्य), पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तं इति विशेषण

• चिन्तयानम्: pondering
• चिन्तयानम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिन्तय् (धातु) → चिन्तयान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/लट्-प्रत्ययार्थ), पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'thinking/pondering'

• महेश्वरम्: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator continuing the Tīrthamāhātmya account; exact speaker not explicit in this snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāmeśvarapura

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within Kāmeśvarapura, Kāma stands present, yet afflicted; nearby Maheśvara is seen in a strangely distorted, anxious aspect—eyes lowered in thought—while onlookers recoil in grief and wonder.

Characters & Entities

• Kāmeśvarapura
• Kusumāyudha (Kāma)
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even divine figures enter states of ‘distress’ within Purāṇic narratives to reveal the hidden glory of a tīrtha and to instruct beings toward remedy through dharma and worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāmeśvarapura is the immediate sacred setting; the surrounding adhyāya proceeds toward the praise of a specific kuṇḍa/jalāśaya with healing merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated in this verse; it sets the scene for later instructions about worship and sacred bathing.