Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

स्पृहणीयास्तु देवेभ्यो ये नराः कृष्णजागरे । नृत्यं गीतं प्रकुर्वंति वीणावाद्यं तथैव च

Transliteration

spṛhaṇīyāstu devebhyo ye narāḥ kṛṣṇajāgare | nṛtyaṃ gītaṃ prakurvaṃti vīṇāvādyaṃ tathaiva ca

Translation

Ceux qui, durant la veille de Kṛṣṇa, accomplissent danse et chant, et jouent aussi de la vīṇā, sont vraiment enviés même par les dieux.

Word by Word

• spṛhaṇīyāḥ: desirable
• spṛhaṇīyāḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: spṛhaṇīya (प्रातिपदिक; √spṛh (धातु) + अनीय)
• Form: कृदन्त (अनीय-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — ‘स्पृहणीयाः’ (desirable/longed-for)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; विरोध/विभेद)

• devebhyaḥ: than the gods
• devebhyaḥ: Apadana (Ablative of comparison/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), बहुवचन — अपादान/तुलना (than the gods)

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• narāḥ: people
• narāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — ‘नराः’ (men/people)

• kṛṣṇa-jāgare: in Krishna’s vigil
• kṛṣṇa-jāgare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + jāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — ‘कृष्णस्य जागरे’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; अधिकरणम् (in Krishna’s vigil)

• nṛtyam: dance
• nṛtyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛtya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — कर्म (object)

• gītam: song
• gītam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gīta (प्रातिपदिक; √gai (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — कर्म (object)

• prakurvanti: perform
• prakurvanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — परस्मैपद; ‘प्रकुर्वन्ति’ (they perform/do)

• vīṇā-vādyam: vīṇā-playing
• vīṇā-vādyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīṇā (प्रातिपदिक) + vādya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — ‘वीणायाः वाद्यम्’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; कर्म (object)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘तथा’ (thus/likewise)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; अवधारण)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/ conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṛṣṇa-jāgara (Dvārakā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lamp-lit temple courtyard at night: devotees sing and dance before Kṛṣṇa, a vīṇā player seated near the front, while devas watch from the sky with admiration, showering flowers.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Devas
• Vīṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional arts (song, dance, music) offered in Kṛṣṇa’s vigil are exalted as a high form of worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, where Kṛṣṇa’s worship and night-vigil are praised in the Dvārakā Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Keeping vigil with kīrtana—singing, dancing, and instrumental music—during Kṛṣṇa/Hari jāgaraṇa.