Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

मेघगर्जितगम्भीरो जनानां नंदयन्मुहुः । वीणावेणुमृदंगानां ध्वनिस्तत्र व्यसर्पत

Transliteration

meghagarjitagambhīro janānāṃ naṃdayanmuhuḥ | vīṇāveṇumṛdaṃgānāṃ dhvanistatra vyasarpata

Translation

Tief wie das Grollen der Gewitterwolken und die Versammelten immer wieder erfreuend, verbreitete sich dort der Klang von Vīṇā, Flöten und Mṛdaṅga überall.

Word by Word

• मेघगर्जितगम्भीरः: deep (like cloud-thunder)
• मेघगर्जितगम्भीरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेघ (प्रातिपदिक) + गर्जित (कृदन्त) + गम्भीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ध्वनिः इति विशेषणम्; ‘deep like thunder of clouds’

• जनानाम्: of the people
• जनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• नन्दयन्: gladdening
• नन्दयन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नन्द् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ध्वनिः इति कर्तरि; ‘gladdening’

• मुहुः: again and again
• मुहुः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

• वीणा: vīṇā (lute)
• वीणा: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (in dvandva list)

• वेणु: flute
• वेणु: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेणु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (in dvandva list)

• मृदङ्गानाम्: of drums
• मृदङ्गानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृदङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; with preceding members forms a dvandva-genitive sense: ‘of vīṇās, flutes, and drums’

• ध्वनिः: sound
• ध्वनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्ता of व्यसर्पत

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• व्यसर्पत: spread/crept forth
• व्यसर्पत: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + √सृप् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘spread/moved about’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta narrator)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Musicians seated in a semicircle: vīṇā players with long-necked lutes, flautists, and mṛdaṅga drummers; sound visualized as rippling bands filling the hall like rolling thunderclouds; listeners smiling, absorbed.

Characters & Entities

• Vīṇā
• Veṇu (flute)
• Mṛdaṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred sound and harmony are portrayed as signs of auspicious presence and a supportive setting for dharmic teaching.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse continues the celestial atmosphere preceding tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the focus is on the pervading auspicious soundscape.