Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

गीतवादित्रघोषेण करतालस्वनेन च । नास्ति धन्यतमस्तस्मात्त्रिषु लोकेषु कश्चन

Transliteration

gītavāditraghoṣeṇa karatālasvanena ca | nāsti dhanyatamastasmāttriṣu lokeṣu kaścana

Translation

By the clamor of song and instruments, and by the ringing of karatālas (hand cymbals), none in the three worlds is more blessed than such devotees.

Word by Word

• गीतवादित्रघोषेण: by the sound of songs and instruments
• गीतवादित्रघोषेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत + वादित्र + घोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (गीतं च वादित्रं च घोषश्च; समाहार-द्वन्द्व-भावः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• करतालस्वनेन: by the sound of hand-cymbals
• करतालस्वनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करताल + स्वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (करतालस्य स्वनः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अस्ति: there is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• धन्यतमः: most blessed
• धन्यतमः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समाना)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); तमप्-प्रत्यय (superlative)

• तस्मात्: than that, from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Ablative/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्रिषु: in the three
• त्रिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (qualifying ‘lokeṣu’)

• लोकेषु: worlds
• लोकेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कश्चन: anyone
• कश्चन: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम) + चन (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); अनिश्चित-प्रयोग (indefinite pronoun)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from section context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dense devotional crowd: lead singers, drummers, and cymbal-players; the air vibrates with rhythm as the procession nears the sacred precincts.

Characters & Entities

• Gīta
• Vāditra
• Karatāla
• Tri-loka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Public, joyful devotion expressed through music is presented as an unsurpassed blessing and a powerful form of worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is the contextual sacred site where such devotional music and celebration are portrayed as especially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devotional singing with instruments and karatāla accompaniment (a form of saṅkīrtana/utsava worship).