Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

धर्माख्यानकथाभिश्च सलास्यैस्तांडवैस्तथा

Transliteration

dharmākhyānakathābhiśca salāsyaistāṃḍavaistathā

Translation

আৰু ধৰ্মাখ্যান-কথাৰ পাঠেৰে, সুললিত নৃত্যৰে, আৰু তদ্ৰূপ তাণ্ডৱ নৃত্যৰে।

Word by Word

• धर्म: dharma/righteousness
• धर्म: Qualifier (Upapada/उपपद)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• आख्यान: narrative/story
• आख्यान: Qualifier (Upapada/उपपद)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• कथा: with talks/stories
• कथा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचनम् (कथाभिः)

• धर्म-आख्यान-कथाभिः: with stories/narrations of dharma
• धर्म-आख्यान-कथाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + आख्यान + कथा (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative chain) = ‘धर्मविषयाणि आख्यानानि, तासां कथाः’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/Conjunction)

• स: with
• स: Qualifier (Upapada/उपपद)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/अव्यय-पूर्वपद)
• Form: अव्यय-पूर्वपद (समासाङ्ग) — ‘स-’ = ‘सहित/with’

• लास्यैः: with graceful dances (lāsya)
• लास्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचनम्

• स-लास्यैः: together with lāsya-dances
• स-लास्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (अव्यय-पूर्वपद) + लास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास = ‘लास्यैः सहितैः’; तृतीया, बहुवचनम्

• ताण्डवैः: with tāṇḍava dances
• ताण्डवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचनम्

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘likewise/also’

Speaker

Narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya (deduced; continuation fragment)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A temple courtyard after worship: storytellers recite dharma narratives while dancers perform graceful nṛtya; a tāṇḍava performance evokes Śiva’s cosmic dance, with lamps and gathered pilgrims.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Lāsya
• Tāṇḍava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion may be expressed through sacred storytelling and disciplined artistic performance as offerings aligned with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this fragment; it describes modes of Śivarātri observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Engage in dharma-kathā (religious narratives) and devotional dance forms (lāsya and tāṇḍava) as part of the observance.