Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

प्रजगाम द्विजश्रेष्ठाः शून्येन मनसा तदा । प्रतिभाति तदा गीतं तस्या मधुरमप्यहो

Transliteration

prajagāma dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ śūnyena manasā tadā | pratibhāti tadā gītaṃ tasyā madhuramapyaho

Translation

يا خيرَ المولودين مرتين، مضتْ حينئذٍ وقلبُها خالٍ. وحتى غناؤها—على حلاوته—بدا في ذلك الوقت مغايرًا، كأنه تبدّل تبدّلًا غريبًا.

Word by Word

• प्रजगाम: went forth, proceeded
• प्रजगाम: Kriya (Motion/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: O best of twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (श्रेष्ठा द्विजाः); पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन (Vocative) बहुवचन

• शून्येन: empty, vacant
• शून्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शून्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (भावे); तृतीया (Instrumental) एकवचन; ‘मनसा’ विशेषण

• मनसा: with (her) mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (Instrumental) एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adverbial (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• प्रतिभाति: appears, seems
• प्रतिभाति: Kriya (Appearance/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + भा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adverbial (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• गीतम्: song
• गीतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (कृदन्त; √गै/गाय् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle used as noun); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (Genitive) एकवचन

• मधुरम्: sweet
• मधुरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मधुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘गीतम्’ विशेषण

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• अहो: ah!, alas!/oh!
• अहो: Exclamation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयादिबोधक-अव्यय (exclamation)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration; addressing the sages as dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sāvitrī proceeds with an empty mind; her normally sweet song seems strangely changed—beauty turned uncanny by sorrow.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ (sages/audience)
• Sāvitrī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When the mind is overwhelmed, even what is inherently auspicious can feel painful; dharma therefore guides one toward steadiness and right understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.