Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

इत्यादि नाममालाभिः संस्तुवन्वनमालिनम् । स्वच्छंदलीलया गायन्नृत्यंश्च परया मुदा

Transliteration

ityādi nāmamālābhiḥ saṃstuvanvanamālinam | svacchaṃdalīlayā gāyannṛtyaṃśca parayā mudā

Translation

ഇപ്രകാരം നാമമാലകളാൽ വനമാലിയെ സ്തുതിച്ചുകൊണ്ട്, പരമാനന്ദത്തോടെ സ്വച്ഛന്ദമായി പാടുകയും നൃത്തം ചെയ്യുകയും ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• आदि: and so on
• आदि: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: समासान्त/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (etc.)

• नाम: name
• नाम: Sambandha (Relation within compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• मालाभिः: with garlands (strings)
• मालाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• संस्तुवन्: praising
• संस्तुवन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु) + सम्- (उपसर्ग) → संस्तुवत् (कृदन्त, शतृ/Present participle)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि शतृ-प्रत्ययः

• वनमालिनम्: the one wearing a forest-garland
• वनमालिनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक) + मालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; 'वनमालां धारयति' इति

• स्वच्छन्द: free; at will
• स्वच्छन्द: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + छन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-विशेषण (समासाङ्ग) — 'स्वेच्छया'

• लीलया: by play; sportively
• लीलया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• गायन्: singing
• गायन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु) → गायन् (कृदन्त, शतृ/Present participle)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि

• नृत्यन्: dancing
• नृत्यन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नृत् (धातु) → नृत्यन् (कृदन्त, शतृ/Present participle)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• परया: supreme; great
• परया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; 'परया' = 'अत्यन्तया'

• मुदा: with joy
• मुदा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्/मुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator within Kāśīkhaṇḍa (deduced: Skanda narrating to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Viśveśvara-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee praises the Garlanded Lord with a cascade of divine names, then breaks into singing and dance—unrestrained yet sacred—radiating joy; attendants/devotees form a small kīrtana circle.

Characters & Entities

• Vanamālin (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion naturally flowers into joyful praise—nāma-stuti can culminate in kīrtana and dance as an offering of the whole self.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa context points to Kāśī; the verse describes devotional behavior within that sacred narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied devotional practice: chanting/praising with divine names (nāma-mālā), singing (gāna), and devotional dance (nṛtya) as acts of worship.