Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्नहनि देवोऽपि सहांतःपौरकैर्जनैः । अनुभूय जलक्रीडां पानमासेवते रहः

Transliteration

tasminnahani devo'pi sahāṃtaḥpaurakairjanaiḥ | anubhūya jalakrīḍāṃ pānamāsevate rahaḥ

Translation

An eben diesem Tag erfreute sich der Herr zusammen mit den Bewohnern der inneren Gemächer an Wasserspielen und nahm danach in Zurückgezogenheit das Getränk zu sich.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अहनि: day
• अहनि: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवः: the Lord
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Additive particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Accompaniment)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (with)

• अन्तःपौरकैः: with the inner citizens/attendants
• अन्तःपौरकैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तः-पौरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: अन्तः + पौरक (कर्मधारयः: 'inner-city citizens/people of the palace-city'); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• जनैः: with people
• जनैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अनुभूय: having experienced/enjoyed
• अनुभूय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Absolutive/Gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• जलक्रीडाम्: water-play
• जलक्रीडाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल-क्रीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: जल + क्रीडा (षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषसदृशः; अर्थतः 'water-sport'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पानम्: drinking
• पानम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• आसेवते: enjoys/indulges in
• आसेवते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• रहः: in private/secretly
• रहः: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: रहस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्राय; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (adverbial use), 'एकान्ते' (in private)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kṛṣṇa with inner-palace companions enjoys jalakrīḍā in a private water pavilion; afterward he withdraws into a secluded chamber to drink, attendants holding jeweled cups and fans.

Characters & Entities

• deva (the Lord, i.e., Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa contextually)
• antaḥpura (inner palace)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even divine “play” is framed within sacred space, reinforcing Prabhāsa as a kṣetra where ordinary acts become sanctified by location and presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsa region), with the narrative moving through its celebrated environs.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; the verse is descriptive (vihāra) rather than injunctional (vidhi).