Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

गीतनृत्योपहाराश्च नानावाद्यरवप्रियाः । अनंतत्वादमीषां च वक्तुं शक्या न वै गुणाः

Transliteration

gītanṛtyopahārāśca nānāvādyaravapriyāḥ | anaṃtatvādamīṣāṃ ca vaktuṃ śakyā na vai guṇāḥ

Translation

അവർ ഗാനം, നൃത്തം, ഉപഹാരങ്ങൾ എന്നിവയിൽ ആനന്ദിക്കുന്നു; നാനാവിധ വാദ്യങ്ങളുടെ നാദം അവർക്കു പ്രിയം. ഇവരുടെ സ്വഭാവം അനന്തമായതിനാൽ അവരുടെ ഗുണങ്ങൾ വാക്കുകളാൽ പൂർണ്ണമായി പറയാൻ കഴിയില്ല।

Word by Word

• गीतनृत्योपहाराः: songs, dances, and offerings
• गीतनृत्योपहाराः: Karta (Subject/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत + नृत्य + उपहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (‘गीतं च नृत्यं च उपहाराश्च’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• नानावाद्यरवप्रियाः: fond of the sounds of various instruments
• नानावाद्यरवप्रियाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना (अव्यय) + वाद्य + रव + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘नानाविधानां वाद्यानां रवः प्रियः येषाम्’)

• अनन्तत्वात्: due to their endlessness
• अनन्तत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनन्तत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (abl. sg.); ‘because of infinity/endlessness’

• अमीषाम्: of these
• अमीषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (gen. pl.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• वक्तुम्: to describe
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/infinitival complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), ‘to speak/tell’

• शक्याः: are possible
• शक्याः: Pradhāna-pada (Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (potential passive participle/gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘able/possible (to be …)’

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/खल्वर्थक-निपात (indeed/verily)

• गुणाः: qualities
• गुणाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṇas rejoicing in devotional arts—singing, dancing, receiving offerings—surrounded by a chorus of instruments; the scene suggests endless variety, with no single frame able to contain all their qualities.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Gaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine reality and its manifestations are inexhaustible; devotion expressed through music and dance becomes a fitting response to that infinity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it praises the gaṇas and, by extension, Śiva’s boundless majesty.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is commanded; the verse highlights devotional expressions like offerings, singing, and dancing.