Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

स कदाचित्सभामध्ये सर्वदेवसमागमे । मेनकानृत्यगीतेन मोहितः सुचिरं किल

Transliteration

sa kadācitsabhāmadhye sarvadevasamāgame | menakānṛtyagītena mohitaḥ suciraṃ kila

Translation

Einst, mitten in einer Versammlung beim Zusammenkommen aller Götter, wurde er lange Zeit von Menakās Tanz und Gesang betört.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कदाचित्: once
• कदाचित्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: at some time)

• सभा: in the assembly
• सभा: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे 'in the midst'

• सर्वदेवसमागमे: at the gathering of all gods
• सर्वदेवसमागमे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + देव + समागम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; 'सर्वेषां देवानां समागमः'

• मेनका: of Menakā
• मेनका: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेनका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (सम्बन्धे: 'of Menakā')

• नृत्यगीतेन: by (her) dance and song
• नृत्यगीतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृत्य + गीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; 'नृत्यं च गीतं च'

• मोहितः: bewildered, enchanted
• मोहितः: Karta (Subject state/कर्ता-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'bewildered/enchanted'

• सुचिरम्: for a long time
• सुचिरम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Duration/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सुचिरम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालपरिमाणवाचक अव्यय (adverb: for a long time)

• किल: indeed; it is said
• किल: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) प्रसिद्ध्यर्थक/श्रुत्यर्थक (indeed, it is said)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (implied future locus of expiation)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the divine assembly, Menakā performs dance and song; Pattreśvara/Jaya becomes long captivated, forgetting decorum amid the gods’ gathering.

Characters & Entities

• Menakā
• Devas (sarvadeva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the exalted can fall into delusion when the senses are unguarded; vigilance is central to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None explicitly in this verse; it supplies the backstory leading to the tīrtha-associated siddhi.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates a cause of moral lapse (mohana).