Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

इत्यादि नाममालाभिः संस्तुवन्वनमालिनम् । स्वच्छंदलीलया गायन्नृत्यंश्च परया मुदा

Transliteration

ityādi nāmamālābhiḥ saṃstuvanvanamālinam | svacchaṃdalīlayā gāyannṛtyaṃśca parayā mudā

Translation

Ainsi, louant le Seigneur aux guirlandes par de telles guirlandes de noms, il chanta et dansa dans un jeu spontané, rempli d’une joie suprême.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• आदि: and so on
• आदि: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: समासान्त/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (etc.)

• नाम: name
• नाम: Sambandha (Relation within compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• मालाभिः: with garlands (strings)
• मालाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• संस्तुवन्: praising
• संस्तुवन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु) + सम्- (उपसर्ग) → संस्तुवत् (कृदन्त, शतृ/Present participle)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि शतृ-प्रत्ययः

• वनमालिनम्: the one wearing a forest-garland
• वनमालिनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक) + मालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; 'वनमालां धारयति' इति

• स्वच्छन्द: free; at will
• स्वच्छन्द: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + छन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-विशेषण (समासाङ्ग) — 'स्वेच्छया'

• लीलया: by play; sportively
• लीलया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• गायन्: singing
• गायन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु) → गायन् (कृदन्त, शतृ/Present participle)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि

• नृत्यन्: dancing
• नृत्यन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नृत् (धातु) → नृत्यन् (कृदन्त, शतृ/Present participle)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि

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

• परया: supreme; great
• परया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; 'परया' = 'अत्यन्तया'

• मुदा: with joy
• मुदा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्/मुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator within Kāśīkhaṇḍa (deduced: Skanda narrating to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Viśveśvara-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee praises the Garlanded Lord with a cascade of divine names, then breaks into singing and dance—unrestrained yet sacred—radiating joy; attendants/devotees form a small kīrtana circle.

Characters & Entities

• Vanamālin (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion naturally flowers into joyful praise—nāma-stuti can culminate in kīrtana and dance as an offering of the whole self.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa context points to Kāśī; the verse describes devotional behavior within that sacred narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied devotional practice: chanting/praising with divine names (nāma-mālā), singing (gāna), and devotional dance (nṛtya) as acts of worship.