Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

स्नानकाले तु कृष्णस्य जयशब्दं करोति यः । करताल समायुक्तं गीतनृत्यं करोति च

Transliteration

snānakāle tu kṛṣṇasya jayaśabdaṃ karoti yaḥ | karatāla samāyuktaṃ gītanṛtyaṃ karoti ca

Translation

Wer zur Zeit des rituellen Bades Kṛṣṇas den Ruf „Jaya!“ erhebt und Gesang und Tanz mit rhythmischem Klatschen vollzieht, erlangt großes Verdienst.

Word by Word

• स्नानकाले: at bathing time
• स्नानकाले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान-काल (प्रातिपदिक; स्नान + काल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक

• कृष्णस्य: of Krishna
• कृष्णस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जयशब्दम्: the cry/word ‘jaya’ (victory)
• जयशब्दम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय-शब्द (प्रातिपदिक; जय + शब्द)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (जय इति शब्दः)

• करोति: makes, utters
• करोति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• करताल: hand-cymbals, clapping (karatāla)
• करताल: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (अव्यक्त-कारक; उपपद-सम्बन्धेन)

• समायुक्तम्: accompanied/combined (with)
• समायुक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ√युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualified to गीतनृत्यम्)

• गीतनृत्यम्: singing and dancing
• गीतनृत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत-नृत्य (प्रातिपदिक; गीत + नृत्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (गीतं च नृत्यं च)

• करोति: does, performs
• करोति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

Speaker

Unspecified (instructional voice within Dvārakā Māhātmya; likely Sūta in Purāṇic frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nara-īśvara addressed in surrounding verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A jubilant temple courtyard: devotees raise ‘Jaya!’ with hands clapping karatālas; singers and dancers surround the Kṛṣṇa icon during snāna-utsava.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Jaya-śabda
• Karatāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Joyful, public praise of the Lord—voice and rhythm united—becomes a sanctifying act of devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, in whose worship-culture such celebratory devotion is praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

At snāna-kāla: chant ‘jaya’, and perform singing and dancing with clapping (karatāla).