Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

अंतःपुरचरा एतां नयंत्वंतःपुरं महत् । अनया सदलं कृत्या मम राष्ट्रमलंकृतम्

Transliteration

aṃtaḥpuracarā etāṃ nayaṃtvaṃtaḥpuraṃ mahat | anayā sadalaṃ kṛtyā mama rāṣṭramalaṃkṛtam

Translation

അന്തഃപുരത്തിലെ സ്ത്രീകൾ ഇവളെ മഹാ അന്തഃപുരത്തിലേക്കു കൊണ്ടുപോകട്ടെ. ഇവളോടൊപ്പം അവളുടെ പരിവാരവും സേവാകൃത്യങ്ങളും ചേർന്ന് എന്റെ രാജ്യം അലങ്കൃതമായി.

Word by Word

• अन्तःपुरचराः: (you) inner-palace attendants
• अन्तःपुरचराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तःपुर (प्रातिपदिक) + चर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘those who move in the inner palace’

• एताम्: this (woman)
• एताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नयन्तु: let (them) lead
• नयन्तु: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘let them lead’

• अन्तःपुरम्: to the inner palace
• अन्तःपुरम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तःपुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गन्तव्य-स्थान (goal)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying antaḥpuram)

• अनया: by this (woman)
• अनया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सदलम्: together with its forces
• सदलम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + दल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘with its troops/with its parts’ (sa-dala)

• कृत्या: by (her) act
• कृत्या: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive noun) ‘deed/act’ (instrumental of means)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• राष्ट्रम्: kingdom
• राष्ट्रम्: Karma/Subject in passive (कर्म/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अलंकृतम्: has been adorned
• अलंकृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अलम्-√कृ (धातु) → अलंकृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि ‘has been adorned’

Speaker

Daitya king (unnamed in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ceremonial entry: palace women (antahpura-carāḥ) escort a richly adorned lady into the grand inner chambers; attendants carry lamps, fans, and trays; the kingdom is symbolically ‘adorned’ by her presence.

Characters & Entities

• Antaḥpura (royal inner apartments)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Attachment to display and possession is portrayed as a worldly ornament; Purāṇas often contrast such adornment with true spiritual merit gained by Dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is specified in this verse; it is part of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.