Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

न्यासैः परिसरैः स्तोत्रैः पताकाभिस्तथोत्सवैः । नृत्यवादित्रगीतैश्च सर्ववस्तूपहारकैः

Transliteration

nyāsaiḥ parisaraiḥ stotraiḥ patākābhistathotsavaiḥ | nṛtyavāditragītaiśca sarvavastūpahārakaiḥ

Translation

بِالنْياسا (nyāsa) أي وضع الأعضاء والمانترا، وبالطواف، وبالترانيم، وبالرايات والمواسم؛ وبالرقص والعزف والغناء؛ وبكل صنوف القرابين من الأشياء—تُقام العبادة وتُحتفل.

Word by Word

• न्यासैः: with ritual placements (nyāsa)
• न्यासैः: करण (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (masculine, instrumental, plural)

• परिसरैः: with circumambulations/ambits
• परिसरैः: करण (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (masculine, instrumental, plural)

• स्तोत्रैः: with hymns
• स्तोत्रैः: करण (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (neuter, instrumental, plural)

• पताकाभिः: with banners
• पताकाभिः: करण (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पताका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (feminine, instrumental, plural)

• तथा: also/thus
• तथा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (adverb: ‘thus/also’)

• उत्सवैः: with festivals
• उत्सवैः: करण (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (masculine, instrumental, plural)

• नृत्य: dance
• नृत्य: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• वादित्र: musical instruments
• वादित्र: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: वादित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• गीतैः: with dances, instruments, and songs
• गीतैः: करण (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (neuter, instrumental, plural); समासः—नृत्य-वादित्र-गीत (द्वन्द्वः)

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• सर्व: all
• सर्व: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• वस्तु: items/things
• वस्तु: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• उपहारकैः: with offerings of all kinds of items
• उपहारकैः: करण (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपहारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (masculine, instrumental, plural); समासः—सर्व-वस्तु-उपहारक (तत्पुरुषः: ‘bringing/consisting of offerings of all items’)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somānātha–Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Grand festival at Somnāth: tall banners flutter; devotees circle the shrine; priests perform nyāsa and chant stotras; dancers and musicians (drums, cymbals, wind instruments) accompany; heaps of offerings are presented in orderly rows.

Characters & Entities

• Nyāsa
• Parikrama (circumambulation)
• Stotra
• Patākā
• Utsava
• Nṛtya
• Vāditra
• Gīta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion can be celebratory and communal—ritual, movement, song, and festival all become worship when offered to the divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ritual culture described is situated in the Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform nyāsa, circumambulation, stotra-recitation, raise banners, hold festivals, and offer dance, music, song, and varied gifts.