Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

इत्थं तास्तद्गुणग्रामं वर्णयंत्यः पदेपदे । कालं विनोदयंति स्म अंतःपुरचराः स्त्रियः

Transliteration

itthaṃ tāstadguṇagrāmaṃ varṇayaṃtyaḥ padepade | kālaṃ vinodayaṃti sma aṃtaḥpuracarāḥ striyaḥ

Translation

ดังนี้ สตรีผู้พำนักในฝ่ายใน ต่างพรรณนาหมู่คุณของท่านทุกย่างก้าว แล้วก็ผ่อนกาลเวลาไปด้วยถ้อยคำอันรื่นรมย์

Word by Word

• इत्थम्: thus
• इत्थम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: thus/in this manner)

• ताः: those (women)
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (guṇagrāmam qualifies)

• गुणग्रामम्: collection of virtues
• गुणग्रामम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (गुणानां ग्रामः = समूहः)

• वर्णयन्त्यः: describing
• वर्णयन्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वर्णय् (धातु; वर्णयति)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष? (finite not here) — शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle) स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद-धात्वर्थ

• पदे: in (each) step/word
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• पदे: at every step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (idiom: pade pade)

• कालम्: time
• कालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विनोदयन्ति: they amuse (themselves), pass (time)
• विनोदयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + नुद् (धातु; विनोदयति)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्म: indeed/used to
• स्म: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्म-निपात (past/continuative marker with present)

• अन्तःपुरचराः: women of the inner palace (harem-dwellers)
• अन्तःपुरचराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तःपुर (प्रातिपदिक) + चर (चर् धातु, अ-प्रत्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अन्तःपुरे चराः)

• स्त्रियः: women
• स्त्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Kāśī narrative voice (Uttarārdha context; traditionally Skanda addressing Agastya in Kāśī-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Women of the inner palace gathered in small groups, animated yet refined, narrating the virtues of the brāhmaṇa; a sense of cultured leisure and moral admiration.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Virtue naturally becomes worthy of remembrance and discourse; good qualities spread through society by praise and recollection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kāśī-khaṇḍa frame concerns Kāśī, though this verse is narrative and does not name a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.