Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

गीतं नृत्यं तथा वाद्यं कुर्वीत तद्दिने धुवम् । तन्मासे तद्दिने नैव वृत्तिनाशो भवेद्यथा

Transliteration

gītaṃ nṛtyaṃ tathā vādyaṃ kurvīta taddine dhuvam | tanmāse taddine naiva vṛttināśo bhavedyathā

Translation

તે દિવસે નિશ્ચિતપણે ગાન, નૃત્ય તથા વાદ્યનું આયોજન કરવું જોઈએ; જેથી તે માસમાં, તે જ દિવસે, જીવનોપાર્જન અને કલ્યાણમાં હ્રાસ ન થાય.

Word by Word

• गीतम्: song/singing
• गीतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक; √गै (धातु) → गीत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नृत्यम्: dance/dancing
• नृत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृत्य (प्रातिपदिक; √नृत् (धातु) → नृत्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (also/likewise)

• वाद्यम्: instrumental music / instruments
• वाद्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाद्य (प्रातिपदिक; √वद् (धातु) → वाद्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कुर्वीत: should do
• कुर्वीत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (दिने इति)

• दिने: on the day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावप्रयोगे अव्ययवत् (certainly/indeed)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (मासे इति)

• मासे: in that month
• मासे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (दिने इति)

• दिने: on that day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• एव: indeed / at all
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis)

• वृत्तिनाशः: loss of livelihood
• वृत्तिनाशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति + नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः

• भवेत्: may occur / should happen
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यथा: so that
• यथा: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/उद्देश्यवाचक-अव्यय (so that/as)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Brāhma Khaṇḍa context; exact speaker not explicit in the excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A festive courtyard near a shrine: singers with cymbals, dancers in rhythmic poses, and instrumentalists (drums, vina/flute) perform before the deity; townsfolk and pilgrims watch, lamps and banners flutter, conveying prosperity-protection.

Characters & Entities

• Gīta
• Nṛtya
• Vādya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Joyful, dharma-aligned celebration on sacred days is portrayed as protective—sustaining prosperity and communal well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to the Dharmāraṇya setting and its annual observance tradition tied to the sacred settlement.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform gīta (song), nṛtya (dance), and vādya (instrumental music) on the appointed day to avert vṛtti-nāśa (decline of livelihood).