Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्नहनि देवोऽपि सहांतःपौरकैर्जनैः । अनुभूय जलक्रीडां पानमासेवते रहः

Transliteration

tasminnahani devo'pi sahāṃtaḥpaurakairjanaiḥ | anubhūya jalakrīḍāṃ pānamāsevate rahaḥ

Translation

اسی دن بھگوان بھی اندرونی محل کے رہنے والوں کے ساتھ جل-کِریڑا سے لطف اندوز ہوئے، پھر تنہائی میں مشروب نوش فرمایا۔

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अहनि: day
• अहनि: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवः: the Lord
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Additive particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Accompaniment)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (with)

• अन्तःपौरकैः: with the inner citizens/attendants
• अन्तःपौरकैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तः-पौरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: अन्तः + पौरक (कर्मधारयः: 'inner-city citizens/people of the palace-city'); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• जनैः: with people
• जनैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अनुभूय: having experienced/enjoyed
• अनुभूय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Absolutive/Gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• जलक्रीडाम्: water-play
• जलक्रीडाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल-क्रीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: जल + क्रीडा (षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषसदृशः; अर्थतः 'water-sport'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पानम्: drinking
• पानम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• आसेवते: enjoys/indulges in
• आसेवते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• रहः: in private/secretly
• रहः: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: रहस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्राय; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (adverbial use), 'एकान्ते' (in private)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kṛṣṇa with inner-palace companions enjoys jalakrīḍā in a private water pavilion; afterward he withdraws into a secluded chamber to drink, attendants holding jeweled cups and fans.

Characters & Entities

• deva (the Lord, i.e., Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa contextually)
• antaḥpura (inner palace)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even divine “play” is framed within sacred space, reinforcing Prabhāsa as a kṣetra where ordinary acts become sanctified by location and presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsa region), with the narrative moving through its celebrated environs.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; the verse is descriptive (vihāra) rather than injunctional (vidhi).