Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

नृत्यगीतैस्तथा स्तोत्रैः प्रेरिता सा निशा तदा । प्रभाते भोजिता विप्राः पायसैर्मधुसर्पिषा

Transliteration

nṛtyagītaistathā stotraiḥ preritā sā niśā tadā | prabhāte bhojitā viprāḥ pāyasairmadhusarpiṣā

Translation

അപ്പോൾ നൃത്തഗീതങ്ങളും സ്തോത്രങ്ങളും പ്രേരിപ്പിച്ചതിനാൽ ആ രാത്രി കടന്നു. പ്രഭാതത്തിൽ വിപ്രന്മാർക്ക് പായസം, തേൻ, നെയ്യ് എന്നിവകൊണ്ട് ഭോജനം നൽകി.

Word by Word

• नृत्यगीतैः: by dances and songs
• नृत्यगीतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (नृत्यं च गीतं च)

• तथा: and also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थे (adverb: 'thus/also')

• स्तोत्रैः: by hymns
• स्तोत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• प्रेरिता: was impelled/was prompted
• प्रेरिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-ईर् (धातु) → प्रेरित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः (passive sense: 'having been impelled')

• सा: she/that (night)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• निशा: night
• निशा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• प्रभाते: in the morning
• प्रभाते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; कालाधिकरणे (locative of time)

• भोजिता: were fed
• भोजिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु) → भोजित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मणि (passive: 'were fed')

• विप्राः: brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• पायसैः: with rice-pudding
• पायसैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पायस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• मधुसर्पिषा: with honey and ghee
• मधुसर्पिषा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक) + सर्पिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (मधु च सर्पिः च)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tirtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A riverside tirtha pavilion at night: devotees singing hymns and dancing with hand-cymbals; at dawn, seated brāhmaṇas are served pāyasa in leaf-bowls, with honey and ghee offered reverentially.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual wakefulness and praise culminate in compassionate giving—honouring the learned with respectful food.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā-khaṇḍa (Narmadā-region) observances within the Āvantya Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

After the night vigil, feed brāhmaṇas at dawn with auspicious foods such as pāyasa, honey, and ghee.