Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

कर्णशूलं यथाऽयातमसकृद्द्विजसत्तमाः । वन्ध्यवाद्यं यथा वाद्यं मृदंगानकपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

karṇaśūlaṃ yathā'yātamasakṛddvijasattamāḥ | vandhyavādyaṃ yathā vādyaṃ mṛdaṃgānakapūrvakam

Translation

يا سادةَ الدَّوِجَة، كان ذلك يطعن سمعَها مرارًا كألمٍ نافذٍ في الأذن. كأنه موسيقى عقيمة بلا فرح، وإن صاحبتها الطبول والمِرْدَنْغا وسائر الدفوف.

Word by Word

• कर्णशूलम्: ear-ache; pain in the ear
• कर्णशूलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण + शूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कर्णस्य शूलम्)

• यथा: as, like
• यथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (comparative: 'as, like')

• आयातम्: come, arrived
• आयातम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + या (धातु) → आयात (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; 'आगत/प्राप्त'

• असकृत्: again and again; repeatedly
• असकृत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'repeatedly')

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारयप्रायः (द्विजेषु सत्तमाः)

• वन्ध्य: barren; futile
• वन्ध्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वन्ध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (barren, fruitless)

• वाद्यम्: musical instrument; music
• वाद्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• यथा: as, like
• यथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक

• वाद्यम्: music/instrument
• वाद्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• मृदङ्ग: mṛdaṅga drum
• मृदङ्ग: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृदङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• आनक: kettle-drum; large drum
• आनक: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• पूर्वकम्: preceded by; accompanied by (as leading instruments)
• पूर्वकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (मृदङ्ग-आनक-पूर्वकम् = 'preceded by mṛdaṅga and ānaka')

Speaker

Sūta (narration continuing; addressing dvijasattamāḥ)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-sattamāḥ (addressed audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A festive sacrificial pavilion resounds with mṛdaṅga and ānaka, yet the heroine experiences the music as painful, like an ear-ache; the crowd’s celebration contrasts with her distress.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Dvijasattamāḥ (sages/audience)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer celebrations cannot heal an inwardly wounded mind; dharmic restoration requires truth, right action, and inner re-centering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.