Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

गीतवादित्रशब्देन वेदध्वनियुतेन च । नद्यां वाऽथ तडागे वा वाप्यां वाथ परिक्षिपेत्

Transliteration

gītavāditraśabdena vedadhvaniyutena ca | nadyāṃ vā'tha taḍāge vā vāpyāṃ vātha parikṣipet

Translation

Begleitet vom Klang von Gesang und Instrumenten und verbunden mit dem widerhallenden Vedarezitieren, soll man es in einen Fluss, oder in einen Teich, oder in ein Wasserbecken versenken.

Word by Word

• गीतवादित्रशब्देन: with the sound of song and instruments
• गीतवादित्रशब्देन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत-वादित्र-शब्द (प्रातिपदिक; गीत + वादित्र + शब्द)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular; समाहार/निर्देश-तत्पुरुषः (गीतस्य वादित्रस्य च शब्दः)

• वेदध्वनियुतेन: accompanied by Vedic chanting
• वेदध्वनियुतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद-ध्वनि-युक्त (प्रातिपदिक; वेद + ध्वनि + युक्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular; तत्पुरुषः (वेदध्वनिना युक्तः)

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

• नद्याम्: in a river
• नद्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Feminine, Locative (7th), Singular

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात — ‘or’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक/प्रारम्भार्थक-अव्यय — ‘then/now’

• तडागे: in a pond/tank
• तडागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तडाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात — ‘or’

• वाप्याम्: in a well/reservoir
• वाप्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Locative (7th), Singular

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात — ‘or’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय — ‘then’

• परिक्षिपेत्: should cast/throw (it) around/into
• परिक्षिपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Optative, 3rd person, Singular

Speaker

Lakṣmī (contextual instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: addressed as continuation to the same female listener (suma-dhyamā/sundarī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the riverbank (or pond steps), priests chant while musicians play; the mounted Gaurī-catuṣṭaya is brought down and ceremonially immersed amid lamps, flowers, and gathered devotees.

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Nadī (river)
• Taḍāga (pond)
• Vāpī (tank)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred sound (Veda and devotional music) sanctifies ritual action, especially when performed at holy waters.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Holy waters broadly—river, pond, and vāpī—are treated as tīrtha media for completing the rite; the verse does not specify a named river.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform immersion/casting into a river/pond/tank while accompanied by devotional music and Vedic recitation.