Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु ह्युद्गात्रा कर्म योजितम् । शंकुभिः क्रियते यच्च साम गीतिप्रसूचितम्

Transliteration

etasminneva kāle tu hyudgātrā karma yojitam | śaṃkubhiḥ kriyate yacca sāma gītiprasūcitam

Translation

في ذلك الوقت بعينه شرع المُنشدُ الطقسي أُدْغاترِ (Udgātṛ) في تحريك العمل القُرباني—ذلك الذي يُؤدَّى بعلامات الشَّنكو (śaṃku) وتدلّ عليه ألحانُ تراتيل السامان (Sāman).

Word by Word

• एतस्मिन्: at this
• एतस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; अधिकरणे

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/emphasis)

• काले: at the time
• काले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha (particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle; emphasis/causal nuance)

• उद्गात्रा: by the Udgātṛ (Sāma-chanter priest)
• उद्गात्रा: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्गातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देश

• कर्म: the rite; act
• कर्म: Karta (Subject of passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्म-शब्दः (subject of passive)

• योजितम्: was arranged; was set in motion
• योजितम्: Kriya (Passive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त; PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे (passive predicate)

• शंकुभिः: with pegs/stakes
• शंकुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण

• क्रियते: is done; is performed
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: is done)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• साम: Sāman chant
• साम: Vishaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (साम-गीतिः) विषय-निर्देश

• गीति-प्रसूचितम्: indicated by the melody/chanting
• गीति-प्रसूचितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गीति-प्रसूचित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त; PPP from प्र+सूच्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (यत्/कर्म)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Udgātṛ stands or sits elevated, singing Sāman melodies; assistants hold or place śaṃku markers; priests coordinate movements; the fire glows while sound seems to ripple through the hall.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Udgātṛ
• Sāman (Sāma Veda)
• śaṃku

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred sound (Sāma-gīti) is not ornament but guidance—mantra and melody properly applied uphold the yajña’s power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage remains within a tīrtha-māhātmya frame; this verse highlights the Sāma-ritual component rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of a rite coordinated by the Udgātṛ, signaled by Sāman melodies and executed with śaṃku markers.