Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

मानानां चैव तानानां प्रत्यक्षं रूपमाबभौ । सुकंठं सुस्वरं मुक्तं सुगम्भीरं महास्वनम्

Transliteration

mānānāṃ caiva tānānāṃ pratyakṣaṃ rūpamābabhau | sukaṃṭhaṃ susvaraṃ muktaṃ sugambhīraṃ mahāsvanam

Translation

Die Maße und melodischen Ausdehnungen schienen selbst sichtbar Gestalt anzunehmen — süßkehlig, wohlgestimmt, klar und ununterbrochen, tief und von mächtigem Widerhall.

Word by Word

• mānānām: of the measures/standards
• mānānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — Genitive plural

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — conjunction

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय — emphatic particle

• tānānām: of the tones (tānas)
• tānānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — Genitive plural

• pratyakṣam: manifest, directly perceptible
• pratyakṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pratyakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषण (qualifying)

• rūpam: form
• rūpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• ābabhau: appeared, shone forth
• ābabhau: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhā (धातु) + ā- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — 3rd sg perfect; परस्मैपद

• sukaṇṭham: having a good throat/voice
• sukaṇṭham: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + kaṇṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषण

• susvaram: sweet-sounding
• susvaram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (पूर्वपद) + svara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषण

• muktam: released/free
• muktam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukta (कृदन्त; √muc धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• sugambhīram: deep, resonant
• sugambhīram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (पूर्वपद) + gambhīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषण

• mahāsvanam: great-sounding, loud
• mahāsvanam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + svana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahānagara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Music becomes almost visible: waves of rhythm and melody depicted as luminous patterns around singers and instruments—clear, unbroken, deep, resonant—filling the city space.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When worship is pure and concentrated, even abstract principles (measure, tone, resonance) appear as living sacred presence—nāda becomes a vehicle of transcendence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse contributes to the tīrtha’s glorification through its sacred soundscape; the precise place-name is not given here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive, emphasizing the ideal qualities of devotional sound.