Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु ह्युद्गात्रा कर्म योजितम् । शंकुभिः क्रियते यच्च साम गीतिप्रसूचितम्

Transliteration

etasminneva kāle tu hyudgātrā karma yojitam | śaṃkubhiḥ kriyate yacca sāma gītiprasūcitam

Translation

അതേ സമയത്ത് ഉദ്ഗാതാവ് ആ കർമം ആരംഭിച്ചു; അത് ശങ്കുക്കൾ (ചിഹ്നസ്തംഭങ്ങൾ) ഉപയോഗിച്ച് ചെയ്യപ്പെടുന്നതും സാമഗാനത്തിന്റെ സ്വരങ്ങളാൽ സൂചിപ്പിക്കപ്പെടുന്നതുമാണ്।

Word by Word

• एतस्मिन्: at this
• एतस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; अधिकरणे

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/emphasis)

• काले: at the time
• काले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha (particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle; emphasis/causal nuance)

• उद्गात्रा: by the Udgātṛ (Sāma-chanter priest)
• उद्गात्रा: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्गातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देश

• कर्म: the rite; act
• कर्म: Karta (Subject of passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्म-शब्दः (subject of passive)

• योजितम्: was arranged; was set in motion
• योजितम्: Kriya (Passive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त; PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे (passive predicate)

• शंकुभिः: with pegs/stakes
• शंकुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण

• क्रियते: is done; is performed
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: is done)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• साम: Sāman chant
• साम: Vishaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (साम-गीतिः) विषय-निर्देश

• गीति-प्रसूचितम्: indicated by the melody/chanting
• गीति-प्रसूचितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गीति-प्रसूचित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त; PPP from प्र+सूच्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (यत्/कर्म)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Udgātṛ stands or sits elevated, singing Sāman melodies; assistants hold or place śaṃku markers; priests coordinate movements; the fire glows while sound seems to ripple through the hall.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Udgātṛ
• Sāman (Sāma Veda)
• śaṃku

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred sound (Sāma-gīti) is not ornament but guidance—mantra and melody properly applied uphold the yajña’s power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage remains within a tīrtha-māhātmya frame; this verse highlights the Sāma-ritual component rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of a rite coordinated by the Udgātṛ, signaled by Sāman melodies and executed with śaṃku markers.