Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

संगीतस्य सवाद्यस्य तस्य लास्यस्यपुण्यतः । तत्रेशाग्रे कृतस्येह जागरे शिवरात्रिजे

Transliteration

saṃgītasya savādyasya tasya lāsyasyapuṇyataḥ | tatreśāgre kṛtasyeha jāgare śivarātrije

Translation

Par le mérite de cette musique accompagnée d’instruments et de cette danse gracieuse, accomplie là devant le Seigneur durant la veille de Śivarātri—

Word by Word

• संगीतस्य: of the music
• संगीतस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संगीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचनम्

• सवाद्यस्य: with instruments
• सवाद्यस्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सवाद्य (प्रातिपदिक; स+वाद्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्; ‘सवाद्य’ = वाद्यसहितम् (with instruments); ‘संगीतस्य’ इति विशेषणम्

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-रूपम्

• लास्यस्य: of the dance (lāsya)
• लास्यस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्

• पुण्यतः: due to the merit
• पुण्यतः: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु-अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचनम्; हेतौ/कारणे ‘because of, from the merit’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• ईशाग्रे: before the Lord
• ईशाग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशाग्र (प्रातिपदिक; ईश+अग्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचनम्; समासः—ईशस्य अग्रे (in front of the Lord)

• कृतस्य: of what was done
• कृतस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) ‘कृत’; नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्; ‘(कर्म) कृतस्य’ = of what was done

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (here/in this world)

• जागरे: in the vigil
• जागरे: Adhikarana (Occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचनम्; ‘जागर’ = जागरण/व्रत-जागरण (vigil)

• शिवरात्रिजे: on Śivarātri
• शिवरात्रिजे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिवरात्रिज (प्रातिपदिक; शिवरात्रि+ज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; समासः—शिवरात्रौ जातः/सम्बद्धः (pertaining to Śivarātri); ‘जागरे’ इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śivarātri-jāgara at Ratneśvara (Kāśī)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi audience (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A night-long Śivarātri vigil: rows of lamps, devotees seated in meditation, a small ensemble singing with vīṇā and drums, the dancer offering lasya before the liṅga; the Lord’s presence felt as a subtle radiance above the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Śivarātri
• Īśa (Śiva)
• Saṃgīta
• Lāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship offered with devotion—especially during Śivarātri vigil—generates powerful merit, even when expressed through sacred arts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is in Kāśī before the Lord (Īśa), in the continuing Ratneśvara-liṅga narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śivarātri jāgaraṇa (night vigil) is explicitly referenced, along with devotional performance before Śiva.