Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

गीतं नृत्यं तथा वाद्यं कामक्रोधविवर्जितः । प्रभाते विमले प्राप्ते द्विजाः पूज्याः स्वशक्तितः

Transliteration

gītaṃ nṛtyaṃ tathā vādyaṃ kāmakrodhavivarjitaḥ | prabhāte vimale prāpte dvijāḥ pūjyāḥ svaśaktitaḥ

Translation

Frei von Begierde und Zorn, mit Gesang, Tanz und Instrumentalmusik: Wenn der reine Morgen anbricht, soll man die Zweimalgeborenen (Brahmanen) nach eigener Kraft verehren.

Word by Word

• गीतम्: song, singing
• गीतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक; √गै/गाय् क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• नृत्यम्: dance
• नृत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृत्य (प्रातिपदिक; √नृत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अनुक्रमवाचक (also/likewise)

• वाद्यम्: instrumental music
• वाद्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• काम-क्रोध-विवर्जितः: free from desire and anger
• काम-क्रोध-विवर्जितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक) + विवर्जित (प्रातिपदिक; √वर्ज् क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (द्वन्द्वपूर्वपद + क्तान्तविशेषण: 'कामक्रोधयोः विवर्जितः'); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)

• प्रभाते: in the morning
• प्रभाते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative: in the morning)

• विमले: pure, clear
• विमले: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with प्रभाते)

• प्राप्ते: having arrived (when it has come)
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्राप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) used in सप्तमी एकवचन; सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध (locative absolute sense: 'when (morning) has come')

• द्विजाः: Brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• पूज्याः: to be worshipped/honoured
• पूज्याः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) → पूज्य (यत्)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/passive necessity); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विधेयविशेषण (to be worshipped)

• स्वशक्तितः: according to one’s ability
• स्वशक्तितः: Hetu/Prayojana (Manner/हेतु-प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; तद्धितान्त 'तस्' (ablatival adverb): 'यथाशक्ति'

Speaker

Vyāsa (in dialogue with Yudhiṣṭhira) [deduced from vocatives “pārtha / yudhiṣṭhira / nṛpaśreṣṭha” in this passage]

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-tīra (dawn dvija-pūjā)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A night-long devotional gathering at the riverbank: singers with cymbals, dancers in a circle, a vīṇā and mṛdaṅga; faces serene, no anger or desire; the sky lightens into a clean dawn as brāhmaṇas are welcomed and seated for honor.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija (Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred rites should be performed with inner purity—free from desire and anger—and with devotional celebration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context is the Revā Khaṇḍa, centering on the sanctity of the Revā/Narmadā river region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship and honor of Brāhmaṇas at pure dawn, done within one’s means.