Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

स कदाचित्सभामध्ये सर्वदेवसमागमे । मेनकानृत्यगीतेन मोहितः सुचिरं किल

Transliteration

sa kadācitsabhāmadhye sarvadevasamāgame | menakānṛtyagītena mohitaḥ suciraṃ kila

Translation

Un jour, au milieu d’une assemblée, lors de la réunion de tous les dieux, il demeura longtemps envoûté par la danse et le chant de Menakā.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कदाचित्: once
• कदाचित्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: at some time)

• सभा: in the assembly
• सभा: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे 'in the midst'

• सर्वदेवसमागमे: at the gathering of all gods
• सर्वदेवसमागमे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + देव + समागम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; 'सर्वेषां देवानां समागमः'

• मेनका: of Menakā
• मेनका: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेनका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (सम्बन्धे: 'of Menakā')

• नृत्यगीतेन: by (her) dance and song
• नृत्यगीतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृत्य + गीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; 'नृत्यं च गीतं च'

• मोहितः: bewildered, enchanted
• मोहितः: Karta (Subject state/कर्ता-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'bewildered/enchanted'

• सुचिरम्: for a long time
• सुचिरम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Duration/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सुचिरम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालपरिमाणवाचक अव्यय (adverb: for a long time)

• किल: indeed; it is said
• किल: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) प्रसिद्ध्यर्थक/श्रुत्यर्थक (indeed, it is said)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (implied future locus of expiation)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the divine assembly, Menakā performs dance and song; Pattreśvara/Jaya becomes long captivated, forgetting decorum amid the gods’ gathering.

Characters & Entities

• Menakā
• Devas (sarvadeva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the exalted can fall into delusion when the senses are unguarded; vigilance is central to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None explicitly in this verse; it supplies the backstory leading to the tīrtha-associated siddhi.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates a cause of moral lapse (mohana).