Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

वीणावेणुप्रवादाश्च मृदंगा मधुरस्वनाः । सोमपानं विनान्यत्र पानगोष्ठी न कर्णगा

Transliteration

vīṇāveṇupravādāśca mṛdaṃgā madhurasvanāḥ | somapānaṃ vinānyatra pānagoṣṭhī na karṇagā

Translation

वहाँ वीणा और वेणु के मधुर नाद तथा मृदंग की मीठी ध्वनि गूँजती है; पर सोमपान के बिना कहीं भी पान-गोष्ठी का शब्द कानों तक नहीं पहुँचता।

Word by Word

• vīṇā: lute (vīṇā)
• vīṇā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• veṇu: flute
• veṇu: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• pravādāḥ: musical performances/sounds
• pravādāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pra√vad (धातु) + a (प्रत्यय) → pravāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

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

• mṛdaṅgāḥ: drums (mṛdaṅgas)
• mṛdaṅgāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛdaṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• madhura-svanāḥ: sweet-sounding
• madhura-svanāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: madhura (प्रातिपदिक) + svana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying mṛdaṅgāḥ)

• soma-pānam: drinking of soma
• soma-pānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: soma (प्रातिपदिक) + pāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• vinā: without
• vinā: Apādāna (Ablative sense/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादानार्थक-अव्यय/निषेधार्थक (preposition-like indeclinable: 'without')

• anyatra: elsewhere
• anyatra: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/स्थान-अव्यय (adverb: elsewhere)

• pāna-goṣṭhī: drinking-party/gathering for drinking
• pāna-goṣṭhī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāna (प्रातिपदिक) + goṣṭhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• karṇa-gā: reaching the ear/audible
• karṇa-gā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: karṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + √gam (धातु) + ṭā (प्रत्यय) → gā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying pānagoṣṭhī: 'ear-reaching')

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (typical frame) / pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A twilight ghat-scene in Kāśī: vīṇā and veṇu players seated near a shrine, mṛdaṅga rhythms echoing; devotees with lamps; no tavern-like assembly—only a Vedic-ritual vignette suggesting Soma as sacred offering.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Soma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a refined, dharmic society—music and joy exist, but vulgar intoxication and noisy revelry are absent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as a sacred realm where culture is aligned with dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed; the verse contrasts ordinary drinking with Soma (a Vedic-sacrificial context).