Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

नैवेद्यैः परमान्नैश्च गीतैर्नृत्यैः प्रवादितैः । ततो विसृज्य तां देवीं तदुद्देशेन वै ततः

Transliteration

naivedyaiḥ paramānnaiśca gītairnṛtyaiḥ pravāditaiḥ | tato visṛjya tāṃ devīṃ taduddeśena vai tataḥ

Translation

Mit Speiseopfern und erlesenen Gerichten sowie mit Gesang, Tanz und Instrumentalmusik setzte sie die Verehrung fort. Dann, nachdem sie Devī ehrerbietig verabschiedet hatte, schritt sie weiter gemäß dem Gelübde/der Observanz, die Ihr geweiht war.

Word by Word

• नैवेद्यैः: with offerings (naivedya)
• नैवेद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैवेद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/साधन), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural (by/with offerings)

• परमान्नैः: with excellent food (paramānna)
• परमान्नैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक; समास/कर्मधारय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय — conjunction ‘and’

• गीतैः: with songs
• गीतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• नृत्यैः: with dances
• नृत्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• प्रवादितैः: with (instruments) played / sounded
• प्रवादितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वाद् (धातु) + इत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — past passive participle used adjectivally ‘played/sounded’

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय — adverb ‘then/thereafter’

• विसृज्य: having dismissed / having taken leave
• विसृज्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि + सृज् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग (absolutive/gerund) — ‘having dismissed/released’

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular (that/her)

• देवीम्: the goddess
• देवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• तदुद्देशेन: with that intention / for that purpose
• तदुद्देशेन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + उद्देश (प्रातिपदिक; समास/तत्पुरुष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular; ‘with reference to that / for that purpose’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय — emphatic particle ‘indeed’

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय — adverb ‘then/thereafter’

Speaker

Lakṣmī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devoted woman completes Gaurī-pūjā with rich naivedya and paramānna; singers and dancers perform while instruments resound; she then performs respectful visarjana and prepares to continue her vrata.

Characters & Entities

• Naivedya
• Gīta
• Nṛtya
• Vādya (instrumental music)
• Devī (Gaurī/Pañcapiṇḍikā implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion can be offered through beauty and culture—food, music, and dance—culminating in respectful completion of worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā-bank context of Pañcapiṇḍikā-Gaurī worship described in this chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer naivedya and fine foods, perform song/dance/instrumental music, and conclude with proper visarjana (dismissal) of the deity.