Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

कथमंतर्गृहं राज्ञां छद्मना प्रविशेत्पुमान् । गोप्यमानमपिच्छद्म कदाचित्ख्यातिमेष्यति

Transliteration

kathamaṃtargṛhaṃ rājñāṃ chadmanā praviśetpumān | gopyamānamapicchadma kadācitkhyātimeṣyati

Translation

人怎能以欺诳之术进入诸王的内宫？纵使伪装一时隐秘，终有一日也必将显露于世。

Word by Word

• katham: how
• katham: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रश्नार्थक (how?)

• antaḥ-gṛham: the inner apartments
• antaḥ-gṛham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antaḥ (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: अव्ययीभाव (antaḥ + gṛham = inner house); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• rājñām: of kings
• rājñām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• chadmanā: by disguise, deceit
• chadmanā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chadman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• praviśet: could enter / should enter
• praviśet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: viś (धातु) उपसर्ग: pra-
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• pumān: a man
• pumān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pumān/puman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• gopyamānam: being concealed
• gopyamānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gup (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (शानच्/मान-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कर्मणि/आत्मनेपदी participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्थः—being concealed

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपि (even/also)

• chadma: disguise, deceit
• chadma: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chadman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (subject: disguise)

• kadācit: sometime
• kadācit: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācit (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (sometime/at some point)

• khyātim: publicity, notoriety
• khyātim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khyāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• eṣyati: will come/attain
• eṣyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: i (धातु) भविष्यत्-प्रयोग (√i → eṣyati)
• Form: लृट् लकार (simple future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Dvijakumārakau (contextual continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disguised man approaches the guarded women’s quarters; shadows conceal him, but a symbolic sun/eye of Time rises behind, hinting that concealment will fail.

Characters & Entities

• Rājā
• Rājñām antar-gṛha (royal inner apartments)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Falsehood is unstable—hidden deception eventually surfaces and brings disgrace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.