Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

कर्णशूलं यथाऽयातमसकृद्द्विजसत्तमाः । वन्ध्यवाद्यं यथा वाद्यं मृदंगानकपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

karṇaśūlaṃ yathā'yātamasakṛddvijasattamāḥ | vandhyavādyaṃ yathā vādyaṃ mṛdaṃgānakapūrvakam

Translation

Ô très nobles deux-fois-nés, cela frappait ses oreilles sans cesse, tel un élancement aigu. C’était comme une musique stérile et sans joie, fût-elle accompagnée de tambours et de timbales.

Word by Word

• कर्णशूलम्: ear-ache; pain in the ear
• कर्णशूलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण + शूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कर्णस्य शूलम्)

• यथा: as, like
• यथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (comparative: 'as, like')

• आयातम्: come, arrived
• आयातम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + या (धातु) → आयात (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; 'आगत/प्राप्त'

• असकृत्: again and again; repeatedly
• असकृत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'repeatedly')

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारयप्रायः (द्विजेषु सत्तमाः)

• वन्ध्य: barren; futile
• वन्ध्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वन्ध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (barren, fruitless)

• वाद्यम्: musical instrument; music
• वाद्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• यथा: as, like
• यथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक

• वाद्यम्: music/instrument
• वाद्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• मृदङ्ग: mṛdaṅga drum
• मृदङ्ग: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृदङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• आनक: kettle-drum; large drum
• आनक: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• पूर्वकम्: preceded by; accompanied by (as leading instruments)
• पूर्वकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (मृदङ्ग-आनक-पूर्वकम् = 'preceded by mṛdaṅga and ānaka')

Speaker

Sūta (narration continuing; addressing dvijasattamāḥ)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-sattamāḥ (addressed audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A festive sacrificial pavilion resounds with mṛdaṅga and ānaka, yet the heroine experiences the music as painful, like an ear-ache; the crowd’s celebration contrasts with her distress.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Dvijasattamāḥ (sages/audience)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer celebrations cannot heal an inwardly wounded mind; dharmic restoration requires truth, right action, and inner re-centering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.