Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

ग्रामत्रयसमोपेतं स्वरसप्तकसंयुतम् । दिव्यं शुद्धं च सांकल्पं तत्र गेयमवर्त्तत

Transliteration

grāmatrayasamopetaṃ svarasaptakasaṃyutam | divyaṃ śuddhaṃ ca sāṃkalpaṃ tatra geyamavarttata

Translation

Dort erhob sich ein Gesang—göttlich und rein, aus heiliger Intention geformt—begabt mit den drei Grāmas und versehen mit den sieben Tönen der Tonleiter.

Word by Word

• grāmatraya-samopetam: endowed with the three grāmas
• grāmatraya-samopetam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: grāma (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक) + samupeta (कृदन्त; √i धातु, उपसर्ग सम्+उप, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; समासः (ग्रामत्रयेन समोपेतम्)

• svarasaptaka-saṃyutam: joined with the heptad of notes
• svarasaptaka-saṃyutam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svara (प्रातिपदिक) + saptaka (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyuta (कृदन्त; √yuj धातु, सम्-उपसर्ग, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; समासः (स्वरसप्तकेन संयुतम्)

• divyam: divine
• divyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषण

• śuddham: pure
• śuddham: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषण

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

• sāṃkalpam: musical composition/arrangement (saṅkalpa)
• sāṃkalpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāṃkalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय — adverb of place

• geyam: a song/that which is to be sung
• geyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: geya (कृदन्त; √gai धातु, यत्/ण्यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular; भाव/कर्मवाच्य ‘that which is to be sung’

• avarttata: was present/occurred
• avarttata: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛt (धातु) + ava- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/लङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — 3rd sg imperfect; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sanctified space where an unearthly song spontaneously arises, visually suggested by rippling air, luminous syllables, and attentive sages; the music is shown as structured—three grāmas and seven notes—yet emanating as divine purity.

Characters & Entities

• Grāmatraya (three grāmas)
• Svara-saptaka (seven notes)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right saṅkalpa (sacred intention) purifies art; when sound is aligned with dharma, music becomes a divine path rather than mere entertainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the glorification through the sanctity of divine song; the specific tīrtha name is not stated in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it highlights saṅkalpa and purity as the inner discipline behind devotional singing.