Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

शांतं दांतं समालोक्य विश्वस्तेन महात्मना । तस्य चांतःपुरे ह्यासीत्पिंगलानाम नायिका

Transliteration

śāṃtaṃ dāṃtaṃ samālokya viśvastena mahātmanā | tasya cāṃtaḥpure hyāsītpiṃgalānāma nāyikā

Translation

Als jener großherzige König Frieden und Selbstzucht—„Śānta“ und „Dāṃta“—in ihm erblickte, schenkte er ihm Vertrauen. Und in seinen inneren Gemächern befand sich eine vornehme Dame namens Piṅgalā.

Word by Word

• शान्तम्: calm
• शान्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्त (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; 'अहम्/तम्' (अध्याहृत) इत्यस्य विशेषण

• दान्तम्: self-controlled
• दान्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दान्त (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; 'शान्तम्' इव समानाधिकरण

• समालोक्य: having observed
• समालोक्य: Sambandha (Gerundial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-√लोक् (धातु) → समालोक्य (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having seen)

• विश्वस्तेन: by the trusting/confident
• विश्वस्तेन: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्वस्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; 'महात्मना' इत्यस्य विशेषण

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अन्तःपुरे: in the inner palace
• अन्तःपुरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तःपुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); निश्चयार्थ (indeed)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन

• पिङ्गला: Piṅgalā (name)
• पिङ्गला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिङ्गला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Appositive marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामार्थक-निपात (called/named)

• नायिका: heroine/leading lady
• नायिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नायिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

Speaker

Atithi

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijāḥ (implied continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, seeing the attendant’s calm discipline, trusts him; within the inner palace stands Piṅgalā, the chief lady—poised, significant, and watchful.

Characters & Entities

• King of Ānarta (implied)
• Śānta-Dāṃta (as qualities/name)
• Piṅgalā
• Antaḥpura (inner palace)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Trust is bestowed on those known for peace and restraint; Purāṇic narratives often contrast such virtues with later temptations in palace life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse shifts into a courtly episode within the larger Tīrthamāhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.