Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

वादित्राणामभावे तु पूजाकाले च सर्वदा । घंटावाद्यं नरैः कार्य्यं सर्ववाद्यमयी यतः

Transliteration

vāditrāṇāmabhāve tu pūjākāle ca sarvadā | ghaṃṭāvādyaṃ naraiḥ kāryyaṃ sarvavādyamayī yataḥ

Translation

Quand les autres instruments font défaut, et même en tout temps du culte, les hommes doivent faire sonner la cloche, car elle représente l’offrande de tous les instruments.

Word by Word

• वादित्राणाम्: of musical instruments
• वादित्राणाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वादित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• अभावे: in the absence
• अभावे: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक निपात (particle: 'but/indeed')

• पूजाकाले: at the time of worship
• पूजाकाले: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पूजायाः कालः)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• घंटावाद्यम्: bell-ringing
• घंटावाद्यम्: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घंटा (प्रातिपदिक) + वाद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (घंटायाः वाद्यम्)

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: कर्ता (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• कार्यम्: should be done
• कार्यम्: विधेय (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृ-धातोः कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः (to be done)

• सर्ववाद्यमयी: (because it is) consisting of all instruments
• सर्ववाद्यमयी: हेतु-विशेषण (Reason-giving epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + वाद्य (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (घंटा-शब्दस्य)

• यतः: because
• यतः: हेतु (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक अव्यय (causal: 'because/since')

Speaker

Deductive: narrative voice of the Dvārakā Māhātmya (commonly Sūta relating the māhātmya to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a Dvārakā shrine, a devotee rings a bronze bell before Hari’s image while lamps flicker; other instruments are absent, yet the sanctum feels filled with sound.

Characters & Entities

• Ghaṇṭā (bell)
• Pūjā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship need not depend on elaborate resources; a single sincere upacāra like bell-ringing can stand in for many offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, in whose māhātmya practical temple-worship guidance is given for honoring Viṣṇu/Vāsudeva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

During pūjā, ring the bell especially when other instruments are not available; it is recommended as a constant worship practice.