Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

कच्चिच्छिवालये नृत्यगीतवाद्यादिकाः क्रियाः । बलिपूजोपहारांश्च त्वं करोषि च शक्तितः

Transliteration

kaccicchivālaye nṛtyagītavādyādikāḥ kriyāḥ | balipūjopahārāṃśca tvaṃ karoṣi ca śaktitaḥ

Translation

Do you, to the best of your ability, perform in Śiva’s temple acts of worship such as dance, song, and instrumental music, and also make offerings—bali, pūjā, and other upahāras?

Word by Word

• कच्चित्: whether...?
• कच्चित्: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• शिवालये: in the temple of Śiva
• शिवालये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवालय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शिवस्य आलयः)

• नृत्यगीतवाद्यादिकाः: such as dance, song, instruments, etc.
• नृत्यगीतवाद्यादिकाः: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नृत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गीत (प्रातिपदिक) + वाद्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आदिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying 'क्रियाः'); समाहार/सूची-तत्पुरुष (नृत्य-गीत-वाद्य-आदि)

• क्रियाः: acts/ritual activities
• क्रियाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• बलिपूजोपहारान्: offerings, worship, and gifts
• बलिपूजोपहारान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक) + उपहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (बलयः पूजाः उपहाराः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• करोषि: you do / perform
• करोषि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शक्तितः: to the best of (your) ability
• शक्तितः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb); 'according to ability'

Speaker

Unspecified (Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śivālaya-sevā (general)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed to a ‘fortunate/noble’ woman in the ‘kaccit’ sequence

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a Śiva temple: liṅga on pedestal with bilva leaves; dancers in devotional posture; singers and instrumentalists (mṛdaṅga, vīṇā, cymbals); priests offering bali and upahāras; lamps and incense filling the space.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Temple service offered with devotion—arts, worship, and offerings—becomes a dharmic act when done sincerely within one’s capacity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The line points generally to Śiva-temples within the tīrtha framework; it does not specify a named tīrtha in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing pūjā and making offerings (bali, upahāra), including devotional music/dance in Śiva’s temple.