Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

एवं विनिश्चयं कृत्वा पद्मान्यादाय सत्वरम् । सभार्यः प्रस्थितस्तत्र यत्र गीतस्य निःस्वनः

Transliteration

evaṃ viniścayaṃ kṛtvā padmānyādāya satvaram | sabhāryaḥ prasthitastatra yatra gītasya niḥsvanaḥ

Translation

So entschlossen nahm ich eilends die Lotosblüten an mich und brach mit meiner Gattin dorthin auf, woher der Widerhall des Gesanges kam.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus)

• विनिश्चयम्: a decision
• विनिश्चयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनिश्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त; क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done)

• पद्मानि: lotuses
• पद्मानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-दा (धातु) → आदाय (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त; क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (gerund); ‘having taken’

• सत्वरम्: quickly
• सत्वरम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययवत् (adverbial accusative); शीघ्रम्

• सभार्यः: with (his) wife
• सभार्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier of subject/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; (भार्यया सह) सहार्थक-तत्पुरुष; विशेषणम्

• प्रस्थितः: departed
• प्रस्थितः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-स्था (धातु) → प्रस्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; ‘set out/departed’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (there)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Relative location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-यदर्थ (where)

• गीतस्य: of the song/singing
• गीतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचन

• निःस्वनः: sound/resonance
• निःस्वनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निःस्वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (a devotee/pilgrim speaking within the Tīrthamāhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sage (implicit continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A husband and wife hurry through night streets carrying lotuses, following the rising resonance of devotional singing toward a lit sanctuary.

Characters & Entities

• Gīta (devotional song)
• Bhāryā (wife)
• Padma (lotus)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional sound becomes a compass: the heart moves toward dharma when it recognizes kīrtana and sacred assembly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The destination is the shrine where Mahākāla is being worshipped with song and vigil.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Participation in the devotional gathering associated with jāgara is implied, with gīta as a key practice.