Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

नृत्यंत्यप्सरसः श्रेष्ठा गन्धर्वा गाययंति च । चन्द्रार्कौ दीपमार्गेषु व्यजनेषु च मारुतः । ग्रहा अग्रेसरास्तस्य जीवादेशप्रभाषिणः

Transliteration

nṛtyaṃtyapsarasaḥ śreṣṭhā gandharvā gāyayaṃti ca | candrārkau dīpamārgeṣu vyajaneṣu ca mārutaḥ | grahā agresarāstasya jīvādeśaprabhāṣiṇaḥ

Translation

শ্রেষ্ঠ অপ্সরারা নৃত্য করছিল এবং গন্ধর্বরা গান গাইছিল। তার পথের দীপের মতো চন্দ্র-সূর্য জ্বলছিল, বায়ু পাখা ধরেছিল, আর গ্রহগণও অগ্রে গিয়ে যেন তার আদেশই ঘোষণা করছিল।

Word by Word

• nṛtyanti: dance
• nṛtyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nṛt (धातु; नृत्ये)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• apsarasaḥ: apsarases (celestial nymphs)
• apsarasaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apsaras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• śreṣṭhāḥ: excellent, foremost
• śreṣṭhāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (apsarasaḥ)

• gandharvāḥ: gandharvas (celestial musicians)
• gandharvāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandharva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• gāyayanti: sing
• gāyayanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gai (धातु; गाने) [causative √gāpay/गायय]
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; णिच्-प्रत्यय (प्रेरणार्थक/causative)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• candra-arkau: the moon and the sun
• candra-arkau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: candra (प्रातिपदिक) + arka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (चन्द्रश्च अर्कश्च)

• dīpa-mārgeṣu: in the lamp-paths/lines of lamps
• dīpa-mārgeṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa (प्रातिपदिक) + mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दीपानां मार्गेषु / दीपमार्गेषु)

• vyajaneṣu: in the fans (as fan-bearers)
• vyajaneṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyajana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• mārutaḥ: the wind (as attendant)
• mārutaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māruta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• grahāḥ: planets
• grahāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: graha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• agresarāḥ: going in front, leading
• agresarāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: agresara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (grahāḥ)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• jīva-ādeśa-prabhāṣiṇaḥ: uttering the commands of living beings (i.e., fate/astrological decrees)
• jīva-ādeśa-prabhāṣiṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jīva (प्रातिपदिक) + ādeśa (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhāṣiṇ (प्रातिपदिक; √bhāṣ भाषणे, प्र+भाषिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (जीव-आदेशं प्रभाषन्ते ये) विशेषणम् (grahāḥ)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), implied

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand procession: apsarases dancing, gandharvas singing; Sun and Moon as luminous lamps along pathways; wind as a ceremonial fan; planets marching ahead like heralds proclaiming commands.

Characters & Entities

• Apsarases
• Gandharvas
• Candra (Moon)
• Arka/Sūrya (Sun)
• Māruta (Wind)
• Grahāḥ (Planets)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas show how adharma can temporarily appear to command even cosmic symbols, yet such inversion cannot endure against divine order (ṛta/dharma).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; this is a cosmic-style description of royal pomp.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.