Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

सोमपानकृते चैव विशेषेण मुदान्विताः । प्रारब्धे सोमभक्ष्येऽथ गीते चोद्गातृनिर्मिते

Transliteration

somapānakṛte caiva viśeṣeṇa mudānvitāḥ | prārabdhe somabhakṣye'tha gīte codgātṛnirmite

Translation

Und um des Soma-Trinkens willen waren sie von besonderer Freude erfüllt. Als die Soma-Gabe in Gang gesetzt wurde und der vom Udgātṛ angestimmte Gesang begann, sammelte der Ritus seine volle glückverheißende Kraft.

Word by Word

• सोमपानकृते: when the Soma-drinking was done/for Soma-drinking
• सोमपानकृते: Adhikarana (Location/Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमपान + कृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘कृत’; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सोमपानस्य कृते/कृते सति)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः (instrumental used adverbially: especially)

• मुदान्विताः: endowed with joy
• मुदान्विताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुद् + अन्वित (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘अन्वित’; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (मुदा अन्विताः = with joy)

• प्रारब्धे: when (it was) begun
• प्रारब्धे: Adhikarana (Time/Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + रभ् (धातु) → प्रारब्ध (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘प्रारब्ध’ = begun

• सोमभक्ष्ये: in the Soma-eating/drinking (rite)
• सोमभक्ष्ये: Adhikarana (Time/Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम + भक्ष्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सोमस्य भक्ष्ये)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Anantara (Sequence/अनन्तर)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• गीते: when the chant was sung
• गीते: Adhikarana (Time/Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘गीत’ = sung (chant)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• उद्गातृनिर्मिते: made/produced by the udgātṛ (singer-priest)
• उद्गातृनिर्मिते: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्गातृ + निर्मित (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘निर्मित’; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (उद्गातुः निर्मिते)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Soma-pressing moment: priests around the vedi; the Udgātṛ seated, singing; devas visibly delighted, leaning toward the offering; the atmosphere thick with sacred sound.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Soma
• Udgātṛ
• Sāma-gīti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rightly ordered worship produces sacred joy—ānanda arises when offerings and chant align with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The shloka continues the tīrtha-māhātmya sacrificial scene without naming the site; it magnifies the sanctity of Soma-rite itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Commencement of Soma-bhakṣya (Soma portion/consumption) alongside the Udgātṛ’s liturgical chant.