Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

वादित्राणामभावे तु पूजाकाले च सर्वदा । घंटावाद्यं नरैः कार्य्यं सर्ववाद्यमयी यतः

Transliteration

vāditrāṇāmabhāve tu pūjākāle ca sarvadā | ghaṃṭāvādyaṃ naraiḥ kāryyaṃ sarvavādyamayī yataḥ

Translation

عند غيابِ سائرِ الآلات، بل وفي كلِّ وقتِ العبادة، ينبغي للناس أن يقرعوا الجرس؛ لأنه يجسّدُ تقدمةَ جميعِ الآلات.

Word by Word

• वादित्राणाम्: of musical instruments
• वादित्राणाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वादित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• अभावे: in the absence
• अभावे: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक निपात (particle: 'but/indeed')

• पूजाकाले: at the time of worship
• पूजाकाले: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पूजायाः कालः)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• घंटावाद्यम्: bell-ringing
• घंटावाद्यम्: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घंटा (प्रातिपदिक) + वाद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (घंटायाः वाद्यम्)

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: कर्ता (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• कार्यम्: should be done
• कार्यम्: विधेय (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृ-धातोः कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः (to be done)

• सर्ववाद्यमयी: (because it is) consisting of all instruments
• सर्ववाद्यमयी: हेतु-विशेषण (Reason-giving epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + वाद्य (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (घंटा-शब्दस्य)

• यतः: because
• यतः: हेतु (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक अव्यय (causal: 'because/since')

Speaker

Deductive: narrative voice of the Dvārakā Māhātmya (commonly Sūta relating the māhātmya to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a Dvārakā shrine, a devotee rings a bronze bell before Hari’s image while lamps flicker; other instruments are absent, yet the sanctum feels filled with sound.

Characters & Entities

• Ghaṇṭā (bell)
• Pūjā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship need not depend on elaborate resources; a single sincere upacāra like bell-ringing can stand in for many offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, in whose māhātmya practical temple-worship guidance is given for honoring Viṣṇu/Vāsudeva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

During pūjā, ring the bell especially when other instruments are not available; it is recommended as a constant worship practice.