Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

आयाद्भिः प्रतियाद्भिश्च भगदत्तस्य किंकरैः । किमिच्छन्तीति भगिनी पृच्छकैरभिपूरितम्

Transliteration

āyādbhiḥ pratiyādbhiśca bhagadattasya kiṃkaraiḥ | kimicchantīti bhaginī pṛcchakairabhipūritam

Translation

Il était bondé des serviteurs de Bhagadatta allant et venant, et de questionneurs disant : « Ma sœur, que désires-tu ? »

Word by Word

• आयाद्भिः: by those who had come
• आयाद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-yā (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (जनैः/किंकरैः इत्यर्थे)

• प्रतियाद्भिः: by those who had gone/returned
• प्रतियाद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prati-ā-yā (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• भगदत्तस्य: of Bhagadatta
• भगदत्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagadatta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• किंकरैः: by servants
• किंकरैः: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object of ‘icchanti’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative)

• इच्छन्ति: do (they) desire
• इच्छन्ति: Kriya (Verb in quoted speech)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative)

• भगिनी: the sister (lady)
• भगिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaginī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पृच्छकैः: by questioners/inquirers
• पृच्छकैः: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛcchaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अभिपूरितम्: thronged/filled
• अभिपूरितम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhi-pūr (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (गेहम्)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (implied) Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A palace forecourt and corridors teeming with servants; some hurry in, others out, carrying trays and messages; a cluster of attendants address a ‘bhaginī’ with polite inquiry, indicating internal household hierarchy.

Characters & Entities

• Bhagadatta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic narrative shows how power structures and desire-driven service surround royalty, setting up ethical choices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; this is palace/court description connected to the Prāgjyotiṣa episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.