Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

नारीणां तु सदा कामोऽभ्यधिकाः परिवर्तते । विशेषेण ऋतौ काले पीड्यते कामसायकैः

Transliteration

nārīṇāṃ tu sadā kāmo'bhyadhikāḥ parivartate | viśeṣeṇa ṛtau kāle pīḍyate kāmasāyakaiḥ

Translation

عورتوں میں خواہش ہمیشہ قوی اور بار بار پلٹتی رہتی ہے؛ اور خاص طور پر زرخیزی کے موسم میں وہ کام دیو کے تیروں سے ستائی جاتی ہیں۔

Word by Word

• नारीणाम्: of women
• नारीणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• कामः: desire
• कामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता

• अभ्यधिकः: excessive/greater
• अभ्यधिकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘कामः’ इति विशेषण

• परिवर्तते: turns/changes
• परिवर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + √वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; प्रकार/विशेषणार्थे तृतीया (instrumental of manner)

• ऋतौ: in the season (menses)
• ऋतौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (time)

• काले: at the time
• काले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (time)

• पीड्यते: is afflicted
• पीड्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• कामसायकैः: by the arrows of desire
• कामसायकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + सायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘कामस्य सायकाः’

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic depiction of Kāma’s arrows during spring/ṛtu: a woman portrayed with dignified humanity, surrounded by floral season motifs; Kāma’s arrows appear as allegorical rays; a calm dharma-figure gestures toward restraint and mutual care.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Kāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames desire as a powerful force, urging responsible dharmic conduct particularly in the fertile period.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it remains part of the Somnātha-related didactic narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual; it references ṛtu-kāla (the proper season) as a dharmic consideration.