Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

वक्त्रनेत्रविकारोऽयं किमस्य व्रतधारिणः । ईदृक्कामसमायुक्तस्ततो ध्यानस्थितो मुनिः

Transliteration

vaktranetravikāro'yaṃ kimasya vratadhāriṇaḥ | īdṛkkāmasamāyuktastato dhyānasthito muniḥ

Translation

“เหตุใดผู้ทรงพรตผู้นี้จึงมีความแปรปรวนที่ใบหน้าและดวงตาเช่นนี้? เขาถูกกามฉันทะครอบงำ”—ครั้นคิดดังนี้ ฤๅษีก็เข้าสู่สมาธิภาวนา

Word by Word

• वक्त्र-नेत्र-विकारः: distortion/change of face and eyes
• वक्त्र-नेत्र-विकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (वक्त्रस्य नेत्रस्य च विकारः) — Nominative singular

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshana (Demonstrative/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular (this)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Predicate question/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Interrogative (what?)

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Genitive singular (of him/this)

• व्रत-धारिणः: of the vow-observer
• व्रत-धारिणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + धारिन् (कृदन्त; धृ धातु, णिनि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (व्रतं धारयति) — Genitive singular (of the vow-holder)

• ईदृक्: such
• ईदृक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोग (indeclinable-like adjective), अर्थः ‘एतादृश’ — such/like this

• काम-समायुक्तः: associated with desire
• काम-समायुक्तः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + समायुक्त (कृदन्त; सम्+आ+युज् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (कामेन समायुक्तः) — Nominative singular (joined with desire)

• ततः: thereupon/therefore
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/अनन्तरार्थे अव्यय (thereupon/therefore)

• ध्यान-स्थितः: situated in meditation
• ध्यान-स्थितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थित (कृदन्त; स्था धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (ध्याने स्थितः) — Nominative singular (absorbed in meditation)

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator (reporting Nārada’s inner reflection)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vow-observing sage notices unsettling changes in another’s face and eyes; he withdraws into seated meditation, aura tightening as inner sight awakens.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Śiva (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When appearances confuse, the Purāṇic ideal response is contemplative inquiry—turning to dhyāna for clarity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda setting remains the narrative locus; the sanctity is implicit through divine and sage activity rather than explicit tīrtha naming in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhyāna (meditation) is shown as the method to investigate subtle truth.