Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

इति ध्यात्वा क्षणं सांबोऽविशदंतःपुरंपितुः । मध्ये स्त्रैणसभंकृष्णं यावज्जांबवतीसुतः

Transliteration

iti dhyātvā kṣaṇaṃ sāṃbo'viśadaṃtaḥpuraṃpituḥ | madhye straiṇasabhaṃkṛṣṇaṃ yāvajjāṃbavatīsutaḥ

Translation

ครั้นใคร่ครวญอยู่ชั่วขณะ สัมพะ—โอรสแห่งชามพวตี—ก็เข้าไปยังพระราชวังชั้นในของบิดา ที่ซึ่งพระกฤษณะประทับอยู่ท่ามกลางสภาสตรี

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-निर्देशक (quotative/closure particle)

• ध्यात्वा: having thought/pondered
• ध्यात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• क्षणम्: for a moment
• क्षणम्: Kala (Time extent/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कालपरिमाण

• साम्बः: Sāmba
• साम्बः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• अविशद्: entered
• अविशद्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विश् (धातु) आ/अव? (उपसर्ग-रूपेण ‘अव’ पाठानुसार)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अन्तःपुरम्: inner palace/royal apartments
• अन्तःपुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तःपुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• पितुः: of (his) father
• पितुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग; सप्तमी-अर्थे (locative sense ‘in the midst’)

• स्त्रैण-सभम्: the women’s assembly/hall
• स्त्रैण-सभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्रैण (प्रातिपदिक; स्त्री-सम्बन्धि) + सभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समासः (स्त्रीणां सभा)

• कृष्णम्: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• यावत्: until
• यावत्: Kala (Limit/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधिवाचक (until/as far as)

• जाम्बवती-सुतः: the son of Jāmbavatī (Sāmba)
• जाम्बवती-सुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाम्बवती (प्रातिपदिक) + सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः (जाम्बवत्याः सुतः)

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda to Agastya), deduced from Kāśī-khaṇḍa dialogic norm

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sāmba pauses, reflects, then enters his father’s inner palace; Kṛṣṇa is seated amid a women’s assembly (antaḥpura), creating a delicate, private court atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Sāmba
• Kṛṣṇa
• Jāmbavatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It sets the narrative stage: inner reflection should be followed by responsible action and proper approach to elders/authority.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter belongs to the Kāśī-khaṇḍa (Vārāṇasī’s sacred geography overall), but this verse is primarily narrative setup.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.