Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

चतुर्विधं ततो वाद्यं तुमुलं समजायत । तालानां पटहादीनां हस्तकानां तथैव च

Transliteration

caturvidhaṃ tato vādyaṃ tumulaṃ samajāyata | tālānāṃ paṭahādīnāṃ hastakānāṃ tathaiva ca

Translation

Alors s’éleva un tumulte de musique en quatre catégories : les cymbales, les tambours tels que le paṭaha, et de même les instruments joués à la main.

Word by Word

• चतुर्विधम्: fourfold
• चतुर्विधम्: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (चतुर्विध = 'fourfold')

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = 'then'

• वाद्यम्: music/instruments
• वाद्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तुमुलम्: tumultuous, loud
• तुमुलम्: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुमुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; वाद्यम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• समजायत: arose, came about
• समजायत: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-जन् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• तालानाम्: of cymbals/time-keepers
• तालानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• पटहादीनाम्: of drums and the like
• पटहादीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पटह + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पटह-आदि = 'drums etc.')

• हस्तकानाम्: of hand-held (instruments)
• हस्तकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = 'thus/likewise'

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) = 'indeed/just'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/Conjunction) = 'and'

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahānagara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A swelling, fourfold orchestral roar rises—cymbals, paṭaha drums, and hand-played instruments—encircling the divine dance in the city square/temple courtyard.

Characters & Entities

• Tāla
• Paṭaha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred sound (maṅgala-nāda) is portrayed as a collective offering that magnifies the sanctity of the tīrtha and the presence of the divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the festival description within the tīrtha-māhātmya; the site is not identified in this single line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal prescription; it describes the musical components accompanying worship.