Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

वाद्यतां तालमानैः किं यावच्चिंतापरो हरिः । ऋषिः समागतस्तावज्जलाभ्युक्षणत त्परः

Transliteration

vādyatāṃ tālamānaiḥ kiṃ yāvacciṃtāparo hariḥ | ṛṣiḥ samāgatastāvajjalābhyukṣaṇata tparaḥ

Translation

Welchen Nutzen hat Musik mit Taktmaß und Tāla, wenn Hari (Indra) in Sorge versunken ist? Indessen traf der ṛṣi ein, ganz darauf bedacht, Wasser zu sprengen als heiliges, glückverheißendes Annäherungsritual.

Word by Word

• वाद्यताम्: let (it) be played
• वाद्यताम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vad (वद्) caus. √vāday (वादय्)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग; आदेशार्थ (let it be played)

• तालमानैः: with beats and measures (rhythm)
• तालमानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāla + māna (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (copulative)

• किम्: why?/what then?
• किम्: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Temporal correlator/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययार्थ)
• Form: अव्यय; यावत्तावत्-सम्बन्धे कालपरिमाणवाचक (correlative: as long as)

• चिन्तापरः: absorbed in thought
• चिन्तापरः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cintā + para (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थे रूढ (intent on thought)

• हरिः: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ऋषिः: the sage
• ऋषिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• समागतः: arrived
• समागतः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-gata (कृदन्त; from √gam (गम्))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), विशेषण

• तावत्: until then
• तावत्: Sambandha (Temporal correlator/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यावत्तावत्-सम्बन्धे (correlative: till then)

• जलाभ्युक्षणतत्परः: intent on sprinkling water
• जलाभ्युक्षणतत्परः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jala + abhi-ukṣaṇa + tatpara (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (in the act of sprinkling water, intent)

Speaker

Narrative voice

Visual Art Cues

Scene: As Indra worries, musicians hold their instruments; Nārada arrives and performs jalābhyukṣaṇa—sprinkling sanctified water—signaling auspicious entry and ritual control of the moment.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Hari)
• Nārada (ṛṣi, context)
• Jalābhyukṣaṇa (water-sprinkling rite)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer entertainment is hollow when the conscience is burdened; ritual purity and sage-guidance restore auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse is courtly narration; the chapter’s tīrtha focus remains Vastrāpatha in Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Jalābhyukṣaṇa—sprinkling water as an auspicious, purificatory gesture upon arrival.