Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

तस्य वैश्यपतेः काचिद्गृहदासी नृपांगनाम् । आयांती दूरतो दृष्ट्वा तदंतिकमुपाययौ

Transliteration

tasya vaiśyapateḥ kācidgṛhadāsī nṛpāṃganām | āyāṃtī dūrato dṛṣṭvā tadaṃtikamupāyayau

Translation

A maidservant in the household of that merchant-lord, seeing the king’s lady approaching from afar, hurried forth to meet her and bring her near.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/that (person)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• वैश्यपतेः: of the vaiśya-lord/merchant-chief
• वैश्यपतेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्यपति (प्रातिपदिक; वैश्य + पति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• काचित्: a certain
• काचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-विशेषण (indefinite pronoun used adjectivally)

• गृहदासी: a house-servant (maid)
• गृहदासी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहदासी (प्रातिपदिक; गृह + दासी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नृपाङ्गनाम्: the king’s lady/queen
• नृपाङ्गनाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपाङ्गना (प्रातिपदिक; नृप + अङ्गना)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आयान्ती: coming
• आयान्ती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + या (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; गत्यर्थक (coming)

• दूरतः: from a distance
• दूरतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण-अर्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्ययीभावार्थे (adverbial: ‘from afar’)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having seen)

• तदन्तिकम्: to her/his vicinity
• तदन्तिकम्: Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तदन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक; तद् + अन्तिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; गत्यर्थे लक्ष्य-स्थान (goal)

• उपाययौ: went/approached
• उपाययौ: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; specific speaker not explicit in this snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A maidservant notices the queen approaching from a distance and hastens forward, gesturing respectfully to guide her toward safety.

Characters & Entities

• vaiśyapati (merchant-chief)
• nṛpāṅganā (queen)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma begins with attentive care—recognizing another’s need and moving promptly to offer help.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is a narrative transition within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes compassionate action and hospitality rather than a formal rite.