Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

वीणां प्रकटयामास ब्रह्मपुत्रोऽथ नारदः । तदानीं वारितो धीमान्वीणां मा वादय प्रभो

Transliteration

vīṇāṃ prakaṭayāmāsa brahmaputro'tha nāradaḥ | tadānīṃ vārito dhīmānvīṇāṃ mā vādaya prabho

Translation

Alors Nārada, fils de Brahmā, fit paraître sa vīṇā. À cet instant, le sage fut retenu : «Ô Seigneur, ne fais pas résonner la vīṇā.»

Word by Word

• vīṇām: the vīṇā (lute)
• vīṇām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• prakaṭayāmāsa: revealed, brought forth
• prakaṭayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + kaṭ (धातु) (प्रकाṭय्- causative of √kaṭ/√kaṭṭ?; प्रकाṭयति)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative sense: 'made manifest')

• brahma-putraḥ: Brahmā's son
• brahma-putraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman + putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Linking/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (sequence marker)

• nāradaḥ: Nārada
• nāradaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tadānīm: at that time
• tadānīm: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadānīm (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• vāritaḥ: (he) was restrained/forbidden
• vāritaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛ (धातु) + ita (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) 'वारित'; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• dhīmān: wise
• dhīmān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhīmat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• vīṇām: the vīṇā
• vīṇām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• mā: do not
• mā: Sambandha (Linking/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• vādaya: play (make sound)
• vādaya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (धातु) (णिच्: वादयति)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिच् (causative)

• prabho: O lord
• prabho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada produces his vīṇā in the divine assembly; a wise figure (contextually Parvata) gestures to stop him, cautioning: 'Do not play now.' The moment is poised between music and silence.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred sound (nāda) is powerful and context-sensitive; even divine music is portrayed as needing appropriateness to the moment and setting.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa’s sacred milieu frames the event, pointing to Śiva’s presence in the Kedāra region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual is prescribed; the verse narrates the restraint of playing the vīṇā at that moment.