Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

विष्वक्सेनसुनंदादिकिंकरैः परिवारितः । वीणावेणुमृदंगादिवादकैर्नारदादिभिः

Transliteration

viṣvaksenasunaṃdādikiṃkaraiḥ parivāritaḥ | vīṇāveṇumṛdaṃgādivādakairnāradādibhiḥ

Translation

വിഷ്വക്സേന, സുനന്ദ മുതലായ കിങ്കരന്മാർ ചുറ്റിനിന്നു; നാരദാദി വാദകർ വീണ, വേണു, മൃദംഗം മുതലായവ വായിച്ച് ഗാനം ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• विष्वक्सेनसुनन्दादिकिंकरैः: by attendants like Viṣvaksena, Sunanda, etc.
• विष्वक्सेनसुनन्दादिकिंकरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्वक्सेन (प्रातिपदिक) + सुनन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + किंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘by attendants such as Viṣvaksena, Sunanda, etc.’)

• परिवारितः: surrounded
• परिवारितः: Karta (Predicate adjective/apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + वृ (धातु) → परिवारित (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• वीणावेणुमृदङ्गादिवादकैः: by musicians playing vīṇā, flute, mṛdaṅga, etc.
• वीणावेणुमृदङ्गादिवादकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीणा (प्रातिपदिक) + वेणु (प्रातिपदिक) + मृदङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + वादक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘by players of vīṇā, flute, mṛdaṅga, etc.’)

• नारदादिभिः: by Nārada and others
• नारदादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘by Nārada and others’)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Setukhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ṛṣi-audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial court: Viṣvaksena and Sunanda stand in attendance; Nārada and other sages/devas play vīṇā, veṇu, and mṛdaṅga, surrounding the manifested Viṣṇu in a ring of music.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Viṣvaksena
• Sunanda
• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine presence is accompanied by sacred sound—praise, music, and service—highlighting the devotional culture of kīrtana and sevā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setukṣetra is the narrative setting; the verse emphasizes the grandeur of the Lord’s visitation within this Mahātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription, but it implicitly elevates devotional singing and instrumental praise as auspicious worship.