Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

तदा शंखाश्च भेर्यश्च पटहानकगोमुखाः । तथा दुंदुभयो नेदुर्मृदंगाश्च महास्वनाः

Transliteration

tadā śaṃkhāśca bheryaśca paṭahānakagomukhāḥ | tathā duṃdubhayo nedurmṛdaṃgāśca mahāsvanāḥ

Translation

Alors retentirent les conques sacrées et les timbales, les paṭaha, les ānaka et les gomukha ; de même grondèrent les duṃdubhi, et les mṛdaṅga firent jaillir un son puissant.

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (then)

• शंखाः: conches
• शंखाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• भेर्यः: kettledrums
• भेर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भेरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• पटहानकगोमुखाः: paṭaha-drums, ānaka-drums, and gomukha-horns
• पटहानकगोमुखाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पटह + आनक + गोमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व—वाद्य-समूहः (paṭaha-drums, ānaka-drums, and gomukha-horns)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/तुल्यतार्थक (likewise/also)

• दुंदुभयः: dundubhi-drums
• दुंदुभयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुंदुभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• नेदुः: resounded
• नेदुः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘निनादं चक्रुः’ (resounded)

• मृदंगाः: mṛdaṅga-drums
• मृदंगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृदङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• महास्वनाः: loud-sounding
• महास्वनाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + स्वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय—‘महान् स्वनः येषाम्’/‘महास्वनाः’ (loud-sounding)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa), narrating (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (utsava/maṅgala soundscape)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sonic panorama: conches, kettledrums, paṭahas, ānakas, gomukhas, dundubhis, and mighty mṛdaṅgas resound, announcing the auspicious moment.

Characters & Entities

• Kumāra (Skanda)
• Deva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspicious sound marks the rise of dharma—sacred instruments signify unity, courage, and divine sanction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-region context; the imagery is pan-Puranic and ceremonial rather than site-specific.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly, though it reflects traditional auspicious practice of sounding conches and drums at sacred and martial commencements.