Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

वाद्यमानेषु वाद्येषु ब्रह्मघोषे दिवंगते । कलं प्रगायमानेषु गन्धर्वेषु समंततः

Transliteration

vādyamāneṣu vādyeṣu brahmaghoṣe divaṃgate | kalaṃ pragāyamāneṣu gandharveṣu samaṃtataḥ

Translation

যখন বাদ্যযন্ত্র ধ্বনিত হচ্ছিল, বৈদিক ব্রহ্মঘোষ স্বর্গাভিমুখে উঠছিল, আর চারদিকে গন্ধর্বরা মধুর সুরে গান করছিল—

Word by Word

• वाद्यमानेषु: while being played
• वाद्यमानेषु: Adhikarana (Locative circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (Present passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; वाद्येषु इति विशेषण

• वाद्येषु: in/among the musical instruments
• वाद्येषु: Adhikarana (Location/circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• ब्रह्मघोषे: when the Brahma-chant/sound (was)
• ब्रह्मघोषे: Adhikarana (Locative circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म + घोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (brahmaṇaḥ ghoṣaḥ)

• दिवंगते: having risen to heaven / reaching the sky
• दिवंगते: Adhikarana-visheshaṇa (Locative qualifier/अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिवम् + गत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ब्रह्मघोषे इति विशेषण; तत्पुरुष (दिवं गतः = gone to heaven / risen)

• कलम्: melodiously / a sweet (tone)
• कलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (स्वर/ध्वनि) विशेषणरूपेण

• प्रगायमानेषु: while singing forth
• प्रगायमानेषु: Adhikarana (Locative circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√गै (धातु)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (Present participle, middle/passive usage), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; गन्धर्वेषु इति विशेषण

• गन्धर्वेषु: among the Gandharvas
• गन्धर्वेषु: Adhikarana (Location/circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• समन्ततः: on all sides
• समन्ततः: Desha-adhikarana (Spatial adverbial/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/परिमाण-वाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: on all sides)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vibrant ritual soundscape: drums, conches, cymbals; Vedic chanters with raised hands; Gandharvas in the sky singing sweetly around the sacrificial pavilion.

Characters & Entities

• Gandharvas
• Brahma-ghoṣa (Vedic chants)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred rites are framed as cosmic events—supported by mantra, music, and divine participation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The description belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya narrative setting in the Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it depicts the traditional auspicious accompaniments to yajña—mantra-proclamation and ceremonial music.