Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

तत्र गीतं प्रशंसंति नृत्यं चैव पृथग्विधम् । देवस्य पुरतः प्राज्ञाः सर्वशास्त्रविशारदाः

Transliteration

tatra gītaṃ praśaṃsaṃti nṛtyaṃ caiva pṛthagvidham | devasya purataḥ prājñāḥ sarvaśāstraviśāradāḥ

Translation

Dort, vor der Gottheit, preisen die Weisen—kundig in allen Śāstras—den heiligen Gesang und die vielfältigen Arten des Tanzes.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative setting/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb of place

• गीतम्: song; singing
• गीतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक; √गै/गाय् (धातु) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular (past participial noun: “song/singing”)

• प्रशंसन्ति: they praise
• प्रशंसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शंस् (धातु) प्र-उपसर्ग
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद — Present indicative, 3rd person plural, parasmaipada

• नृत्यम्: dance
• नृत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृत्य (प्रातिपदिक; √नृत् (धातु) यत्/ल्युट्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक निपात) — indeclinable conjunction

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारणार्थक निपात) — emphatic particle

• पृथग्विधम्: of various kinds; separately classified
• पृथग्विधम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Avyayibhava compound used adjectivally; Neuter, Acc., Singular (qualifying नृत्यम्)

• देवस्य: of the god
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• पुरतः: in front of
• पुरतः: Adhikarana (Locative setting/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय/उपपद; पुरस्-शब्दात्)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक; उपपद) — indeclinable adverb/postposition “in front of” (governs genitive)

• प्राज्ञाः: the wise (people)
• प्राज्ञाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वशास्त्रविशारदाः: skilled in all scriptures
• सर्वशास्त्रविशारदाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विशारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सर्व-शास्त्र-विशारद); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural (qualifying प्राज्ञाः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (addressed as brāhmaṇottamāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A temple forecourt before the deity: learned brāhmaṇas and devotees perform sacred song and varied dances as offerings; lamps, banners, and musicians frame the sanctum.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Refined devotional arts—song and dance—become offerings when performed before the deity with reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing Kedāra-tīrtha setting where worship is performed in the deity’s presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering or approving gīta (devotional singing) and nṛtya (devotional dance) as forms of worship before the deity.