Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

कुर्वंति नृत्यवाद्ये च लोकानां रंजनाय च । संछादयंति कुसुमैः शालिग्रामशिलां च ये

Transliteration

kurvaṃti nṛtyavādye ca lokānāṃ raṃjanāya ca | saṃchādayaṃti kusumaiḥ śāligrāmaśilāṃ ca ye

Translation

Those who arrange dance and instrumental music for the people’s delight, and who, in worship, cover the Śālagrāma stone with flowers, are praised as doers of merit.

Word by Word

• कुर्वन्ति: do / perform
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• नृत्यवाद्ये: in/with dance and music
• नृत्यवाद्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृत्य-वाद्य (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: नृत्य + वाद्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘नृत्ये वाद्ये च’ अर्थे

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

• लोकानाम्: of the people
• लोकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• रंजनाय: for delighting
• रंजनाय: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• संछादयन्ति: cover / adorn by covering
• संछादयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + छद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• कुसुमैः: with flowers
• कुसुमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुसुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• शालिग्रामशिलाम्: the Śālagrāma stone
• शालिग्रामशिलाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शालिग्राम-शिला (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: शालिग्राम + शिला)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (Śālagrāma-arcana within kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A festive vigil: musicians with mṛdaṅga and vīṇā, dancers in devotional posture, devotees showering flowers over a Śālagrāma on a decorated altar; crowd gathered in joyful reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Śālagrāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti may be expressed both inwardly and communally—through sacred celebration (music, dance) and direct worship (flowers) offered to the divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā Māhātmya provides the setting; the worship focuses on Śālagrāma as Viṣṇu’s sacred embodiment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform devotional music and dance and offer floral adornment to the Śālagrāma stone.