Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 170

Devanagari script

तदा दुंदुबयो नेदुः पटहाश्चसहस्रशः । नंदी तं नादमाकर्ण्य विस्मयात्तवरीतो ययौ

Transliteration

tadā duṃdubayo neduḥ paṭahāścasahasraśaḥ | naṃdī taṃ nādamākarṇya vismayāttavarīto yayau

Translation

Alors les tambours dundubhi grondèrent, et les tambours paṭaha retentirent par milliers. Entendant ce tumulte, Nandī, saisi d’étonnement, se hâta de sortir.

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• दुन्दुभयः: kettledrums
• दुन्दुभयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुन्दुभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• नेदुः: sounded, roared
• नेदुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• पटहाः: drums
• पटहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पटह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

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

• सहस्रशः: in thousands
• सहस्रशः: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: by thousands/in thousands)

• नन्दी: Nandī
• नन्दी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘नादम्’ इति पदं विशेषयति

• नादम्: sound
• नादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• आकर्ण्य: having heard
• आकर्ण्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + √कर्ण्/√कृ (धातु; ‘श्रवणे’)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive): having heard

• विस्मयात्: from astonishment
• विस्मयात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (from/through astonishment)

• तवरीतः: hurried, hastened
• तवरीतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तवरीत (प्रातिपदिक; ‘तुरित/त्वरित’ इत्यर्थे)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; ‘नन्दी’ इति कर्तृपदस्य विशेषणम्

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual attribution)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Thousands of paṭaha drums thunder; Nandī, hearing the tumult, rushes out with wide-eyed wonder; gaṇas stream toward the temple gateway amid vibrating air and echoing mountains.

Characters & Entities

• Nandī
• Dundubhi
• Paṭaha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine events awaken even the foremost attendants of Śiva, drawing them swiftly toward service.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra, presented as the arena of Śiva’s wondrous acts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates celebratory sounds and Nandī’s response.