Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

गतोऽहं स्वामिनिर्देशाद्यत्र तद्बाणमन्दिरम् । दृष्टा बाणं यथान्यायं गतो ह्यन्तःपुरं महत्

Transliteration

gato'haṃ svāminirdeśādyatra tadbāṇamandiram | dṛṣṭā bāṇaṃ yathānyāyaṃ gato hyantaḥpuraṃ mahat

Translation

സ്വാമിയുടെ ആജ്ഞപ്രകാരം ഞാൻ ബാണന്റെ പ്രാസാദമുള്ള സ്ഥലത്തേക്ക് പോയി; വിധിപൂർവ്വം ബാണനെ കണ്ടുമുട്ടി, പിന്നെ അവന്റെ വിശാല അന്തഃപുരത്തിൽ പ്രവേശിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• गतः: went
• गतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कर्तरि कृदन्तः (past participle, active sense); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्

• स्वामि-निर्देशात्: from the master’s instruction
• स्वामि-निर्देशात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + निर्देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वामिनः निर्देशः)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (relative adverb ‘where’)

• तत्: that
• तत्: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• बाण-मन्दिरम्: Bāṇa’s palace/temple
• बाण-मन्दिरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (बाणस्य मन्दिरम्)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund/absolutive), ‘having seen’

• बाणम्: Bāṇa
• बाणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्

• यथा: according to
• यथा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb ‘as/according to’)

• न्यायम्: propriety, proper rule
• न्यायम्: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्; अव्ययीभावार्थे ‘यथान्यायम्’ = according to propriety

• गतः: went
• गतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कर्तरि कृदन्तः (past participle, active sense); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• हि: indeed
• हि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle), अव्ययम्

• अन्तःपुरम्: inner palace, harem
• अन्तःपुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तःपुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्

• महत्: great, large
• महत्: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (अन्तःपुरम् विशेषयति)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (narrating); quoted report by Nārada

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaṅkara (with Umā present)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada recounts entering Bāṇa’s grand palace: towering gateways, guards, and then the opulent inner apartments; he remains composed, holding his vīṇā, moving with sage-like dignity.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Bāṇa
• Śiva (implied as lord)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in confrontational or investigative missions, dharma is preserved through proper conduct and respectful approach.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised in this verse; it continues the narrative connected to the Revā Khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the emphasis is on yathā-nyāya—acting according to rightful procedure.