Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

वाद्यतां तालमानैः किं यावच्चिंतापरो हरिः । ऋषिः समागतस्तावज्जलाभ्युक्षणत त्परः

Transliteration

vādyatāṃ tālamānaiḥ kiṃ yāvacciṃtāparo hariḥ | ṛṣiḥ samāgatastāvajjalābhyukṣaṇata tparaḥ

Translation

À quoi sert la musique aux mesures du tāla, lorsque Hari (Indra) demeure absorbé par l’inquiétude ? Or, en ce même temps, le ṛṣi arriva, tout entier appliqué au rite d’aspersion d’eau, signe d’approche propice.

Word by Word

• वाद्यताम्: let (it) be played
• वाद्यताम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vad (वद्) caus. √vāday (वादय्)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग; आदेशार्थ (let it be played)

• तालमानैः: with beats and measures (rhythm)
• तालमानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāla + māna (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (copulative)

• किम्: why?/what then?
• किम्: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Temporal correlator/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययार्थ)
• Form: अव्यय; यावत्तावत्-सम्बन्धे कालपरिमाणवाचक (correlative: as long as)

• चिन्तापरः: absorbed in thought
• चिन्तापरः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cintā + para (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थे रूढ (intent on thought)

• हरिः: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ऋषिः: the sage
• ऋषिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• समागतः: arrived
• समागतः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-gata (कृदन्त; from √gam (गम्))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), विशेषण

• तावत्: until then
• तावत्: Sambandha (Temporal correlator/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यावत्तावत्-सम्बन्धे (correlative: till then)

• जलाभ्युक्षणतत्परः: intent on sprinkling water
• जलाभ्युक्षणतत्परः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jala + abhi-ukṣaṇa + tatpara (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (in the act of sprinkling water, intent)

Speaker

Narrative voice

Visual Art Cues

Scene: As Indra worries, musicians hold their instruments; Nārada arrives and performs jalābhyukṣaṇa—sprinkling sanctified water—signaling auspicious entry and ritual control of the moment.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Hari)
• Nārada (ṛṣi, context)
• Jalābhyukṣaṇa (water-sprinkling rite)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer entertainment is hollow when the conscience is burdened; ritual purity and sage-guidance restore auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse is courtly narration; the chapter’s tīrtha focus remains Vastrāpatha in Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Jalābhyukṣaṇa—sprinkling water as an auspicious, purificatory gesture upon arrival.