Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

विराजमानसत्कंठस्तुलसीवरदामभिः । स्वयं तालधरो जातः स्वयं जातः सुनर्तकः

Transliteration

virājamānasatkaṃṭhastulasīvaradāmabhiḥ | svayaṃ tāladharo jātaḥ svayaṃ jātaḥ sunartakaḥ

Translation

Sein edler Hals erstrahlte, geschmückt mit vortrefflichen Tulasi-Girlanden; aus eigenem Antrieb ergriff er die Tāla (Handzimbeln) und aus eigenem Antrieb wurde er ein anmutiger Tänzer.

Word by Word

• विराजमान: shining; resplendent
• विराजमान: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राज् (धातु) + वि- (उपसर्ग) → विराजमान (कृदन्त, शानच्/Present participle, आत्मनेपद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि शानच्

• सत्: excellent; auspicious
• सत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (अस् धातु से— शतृ/प्रातिपदिकवत्)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-विशेषण (समासाङ्ग) — 'सुन्दर/श्रेष्ठ' अर्थे

• कण्ठः: neck
• कण्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (समासान्त पद)

• तुलसी: of tulasī
• तुलसी: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुलसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग) — 'तुलस्याः'

• वर: excellent
• वर: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (समासाङ्ग) — 'श्रेष्ठ'

• दामभिः: with garlands
• दामभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दामन्/दाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• स्वयम्: by himself
• स्वयम्: Karta (Emphatic agent-marker/कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वकर्तृबोधक-अव्यय (by oneself)

• तालधरः: holder of cymbals (tāla)
• तालधरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताल (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (धृ धातु से— 'धर' प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'तालं धरति' इति

• जातः: became
• जातः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त, क्त/PPP)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः, 'अभवत्/बभूव' अर्थे

• स्वयम्: by himself
• स्वयम्: Karta (Emphatic agent-marker/कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वकर्तृबोधक-अव्यय (repetition for emphasis)

• जातः: became
• जातः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त, क्त/PPP)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति

• सु: well; very
• सु: Sambandha (Prefix/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सु (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: उपसर्ग/उपपद (intensifier)

• नर्तकः: dancer
• नर्तकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्तक (नृत् धातु + ण्वुल्/कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator within Kāśīkhaṇḍa (deduced: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Viśveśvara-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee’s neck shines with tulasī garlands; he naturally lifts hand-cymbals and becomes a graceful dancer, as if devotion itself animates his limbs; surrounding devotees watch and join the rhythm.

Characters & Entities

• Tulasī
• Vyāsa (implied continuation from v.41)
• Viśveśvara (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion is embodied—adornment with sacred tulasī and wholehearted kīrtana express inner purity and loving surrender.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate narrative context is Viśveśvara’s abode and the Jñānavāpī area in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied devotional observances include wearing tulasī garlands and engaging in kīrtana with rhythm (tāla) and devotional dance.