Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

छाया स्वतनयेष्वेव यथा प्रेष्णाध्यवर्तत । तथा न संज्ञाकन्यायां पुत्रयोश्चाप्यवर्तत । लालनासु च भोज्येषु विशेषमनुवासरम्

Transliteration

chāyā svatanayeṣveva yathā preṣṇādhyavartata | tathā na saṃjñākanyāyāṃ putrayoścāpyavartata | lālanāsu ca bhojyeṣu viśeṣamanuvāsaram

Translation

Chāyā showed affectionate preference toward her own children; but she did not behave the same way toward Saṃjñā’s daughter and her sons. Day after day, she made distinctions in caresses and in food.

Word by Word

• छाया: Chāyā (Shadow; the wife)
• छाया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• स्वतनयेषु: toward/among her own sons
• स्वतनयेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य तनयाः), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Locative, Plural)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• यथा: as/just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (comparative adverb)

• प्रेष्णा: with affection/love
• प्रेष्णा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेष्णा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

• अध्यवर्तत: behaved/treated (them)
• अध्यवर्तत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु) उपसर्ग: अधि
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (3rd person singular, Imperfect, Ātmanepada)

• तथा: so/in the same way
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• संज्ञाकन्यायाम्: toward Saṃjñā’s daughter
• संज्ञाकन्यायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक) + कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (संज्ञा-रूपा कन्या), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Locative, Singular)

• पुत्रयोः: toward the two sons
• पुत्रयोः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी/षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Masculine, Locative/Genitive, Dual)

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Addition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• अवर्तत: behaved/treated
• अवर्तत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (3rd person singular, Imperfect, Ātmanepada)

• लालनासु: in acts of fondling/caressing
• लालनासु: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लालना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Feminine, Locative, Plural)

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

• भोज्येषु: in foods/edibles
• भोज्येषु: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Locative, Plural)

• विशेषम्: special preference/distinction
• विशेषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• अनुवासरम्: day by day
• अनुवासरम्: Sambandha (Time/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु (अव्यय) + वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (वासरं वासरं प्रति), अव्यय (indeclinable adverb)

Speaker

Vyāsa (continuing narrative)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Chāyā in a household setting feeding and caressing her own children while Saṃjñā’s children sit aside, receiving less; the contrast is shown through posture, gaze, and unequal portions of food.

Characters & Entities

• Chāyā
• Saṃjñā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Partiality and injustice within the household violate dharma and become seeds for conflict and curse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.