Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

गायकाश्चैव गंधर्वाः किन्नराश्चाप्सपोगणाः । ननृतुर्जगुस्तुष्टुवुश्च सिद्धचारणगुह्यकाः

Transliteration

gāyakāścaiva gaṃdharvāḥ kinnarāścāpsapogaṇāḥ | nanṛturjagustuṣṭuvuśca siddhacāraṇaguhyakāḥ

Translation

Sänger, Gandharvas, Kinnaras und Scharen der Apsaras tanzten, sangen und brachten Lobeshymnen dar; ebenso taten es die Siddhas, Cāraṇas und Guhyakas.

Word by Word

• gāyakāḥ: singers
• gāyakāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• gaṃdharvāḥ: Gandharvas
• gaṃdharvāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṃdharva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• kinnarāḥ: Kinnaras
• kinnarāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kinnara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• apsapogaṇāḥ: groups of Apsarases
• apsapogaṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apsaras (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: अप्सरसां गणाः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• nanṛtuḥ: they danced
• nanṛtuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nṛt (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• jaguḥ: they sang
• jaguḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gai (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• tuṣṭuvuḥ: they praised
• tuṣṭuvuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: stu (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• siddhacāraṇaguhyakāḥ: Siddhas, Cāraṇas, and Guhyakas
• siddhacāraṇaguhyakāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddha (प्रातिपदिक) + cāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + guhyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (समाहार/इतरेतर: सिद्धाश्च चारणाश्च गुह्यकाश्च), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāranātha (Kedāra-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial assembly: Gandharvas singing with vīṇā and flute, Apsarases dancing in rhythmic circles, Kinnaras joining chorus; Siddhas and Cāraṇas offering hymns; Guhyakas standing as Himalayan guardians, with snowy peaks and a sanctified aura.

Characters & Entities

• Gāyakas
• Gandharvas
• Kinnaras
• Apsarases
• Siddhas
• Cāraṇas
• Guhyakas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Praise (stuti) and sacred song are natural responses to the restoration of dharma and divine favor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra is the overarching sacred frame, though the scene describes heavenly rejoicing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is commanded; the verse models devotional praise through song and hymn.