Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

स्वेच्छया मुनिगेहेषु दर्शयत्यंगचापलम् । क्वचिद्गायति गीतानि क्वचिन्नृत्यति छन्दतः

Transliteration

svecchayā munigeheṣu darśayatyaṃgacāpalam | kvacidgāyati gītāni kvacinnṛtyati chandataḥ

Translation

À sa guise, dans les ermitages des munis, il montrait des mouvements du corps pleins de malice ; tantôt il chantait des chants, tantôt il dansait selon la cadence.

Word by Word

• स्वेच्छया: by his own will
• स्वेच्छया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + इच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular); समासः—स्वस्य इच्छा (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• मुनिगेहेषु: in sages' houses
• मुनिगेहेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + गेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Locative, Plural); समासः—मुनेः गेहम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• दर्शयति: shows/displays
• दर्शयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular); णिच्-प्रयोग (causative sense: makes show)

• अङ्गचापलम्: bodily fickleness/restlessness
• अङ्गचापलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग + चापल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular); समासः—अङ्गस्य चापलम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• क्वचित्: sometimes
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/देशवाचक-अव्यय (sometimes/somewhere)

• गायति: sings
• गायति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• गीतानि: songs
• गीतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Plural)

• क्वचित्: sometimes
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/देशवाचक-अव्यय (sometimes)

• नृत्यति: dances
• नृत्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• छन्दतः: as he likes; at will
• छन्दतः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: छन्दस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverbial ablative: according to); अर्थः—यथाछन्दम्/इच्छानुसारम् (as he pleases)

Speaker

Gālava

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant, youthful figure enters a forest hermitage; he alternates between graceful bodily play, singing, and rhythmic dance, drawing attention amid ascetic surroundings.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied)
• munis (sages)
• āśramas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion can be expressed through sanctified joy—song and dance—when centered on the divine presence that hallows a place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader episode belongs to the Hara-tīrtha Māhātmya, situating Śiva’s līlā around the tīrtha landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is prescribed; devotional expressions (gāna, nṛtya) are described as part of the sacred narrative atmosphere.