Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

नैवेद्यं विविधं दत्त्वा करिष्यति ततः परम् । वीणाविनोदमात्रं च श्रुतिमार्गसुखावहम्

Transliteration

naivedyaṃ vividhaṃ dattvā kariṣyati tataḥ param | vīṇāvinodamātraṃ ca śrutimārgasukhāvaham

Translation

വിവിധ നൈവേദ്യങ്ങൾ അർപ്പിച്ച ശേഷം, അവൾ മൃദുലമായ വീണാവിനോദത്തിൽ ഏർപ്പെടും—അത് ശ്രുതിമാർഗത്തിന്റെ മാധുര്യം പകരുന്നതാണ്.

Word by Word

• नैवेद्यम्: food offering
• नैवेद्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैवेद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मपद

• विविधम्: various
• विविधम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; नैवेद्यस्य विशेषणम्

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• करिष्यति: will do
• करिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Adverbial (Time/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-प्रभव)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/क्रमवाचक (then/from that)

• परम्: afterwards/further
• परम्: Adverbial (Time/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (adverbial accusative); 'afterwards/further'

• वीणाविनोदमात्रम्: only amusement with the vīṇā
• वीणाविनोदमात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीणा (प्रातिपदिक) + विनोद (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; (वीणा-विनोदः) षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष + मात्र (सीमाबोधक)

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

• श्रुतिमार्गसुखावहम्: bringing happiness through the path of music/hearing
• श्रुतिमार्गसुखावहम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + आवह (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: श्रुति-मार्ग (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-सम्भव) + सुख-आवह (उपपद-तत्पुरुष, 'bringing happiness')

Speaker

Deductive/Contextual Narration (Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Nāgara-khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside the shrine courtyard, offerings of fruits and sweets are arranged. A devotee (or the described lady) sits with a vīṇā, playing softly before Umā’s image; the atmosphere is calm, resonant, and luminous.

Characters & Entities

• Vīṇā
• Naivedya (offering)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion includes both offering (naivedya) and refined arts offered as service—music becomes a vehicle of sacred joy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya, the emphasis is on worship at a sanctified locale; the verse itself highlights the worship-mode rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering diverse naivedya followed by devotional vīṇā-music as part of the worshipful observance.