Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

ग्रामत्रयसमोपेतं स्वरसप्तकसंयुतम् । दिव्यं शुद्धं च सांकल्पं तत्र गेयमवर्त्तत

Transliteration

grāmatrayasamopetaṃ svarasaptakasaṃyutam | divyaṃ śuddhaṃ ca sāṃkalpaṃ tatra geyamavarttata

Translation

അവിടെ പുണ്യസങ്കൽപ്പത്തിൽ രൂപപ്പെട്ട ദിവ്യവും ശുദ്ധവും ആയ ഗാനം ഉദിച്ചു—ത്രിഗ്രാമസമുപേതം, സപ്തസ്വരസംയുതം।

Word by Word

• grāmatraya-samopetam: endowed with the three grāmas
• grāmatraya-samopetam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: grāma (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक) + samupeta (कृदन्त; √i धातु, उपसर्ग सम्+उप, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; समासः (ग्रामत्रयेन समोपेतम्)

• svarasaptaka-saṃyutam: joined with the heptad of notes
• svarasaptaka-saṃyutam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svara (प्रातिपदिक) + saptaka (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyuta (कृदन्त; √yuj धातु, सम्-उपसर्ग, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; समासः (स्वरसप्तकेन संयुतम्)

• divyam: divine
• divyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषण

• śuddham: pure
• śuddham: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषण

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — conjunction

• sāṃkalpam: musical composition/arrangement (saṅkalpa)
• sāṃkalpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāṃkalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय — adverb of place

• geyam: a song/that which is to be sung
• geyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: geya (कृदन्त; √gai धातु, यत्/ण्यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular; भाव/कर्मवाच्य ‘that which is to be sung’

• avarttata: was present/occurred
• avarttata: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛt (धातु) + ava- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/लङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — 3rd sg imperfect; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sanctified space where an unearthly song spontaneously arises, visually suggested by rippling air, luminous syllables, and attentive sages; the music is shown as structured—three grāmas and seven notes—yet emanating as divine purity.

Characters & Entities

• Grāmatraya (three grāmas)
• Svara-saptaka (seven notes)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right saṅkalpa (sacred intention) purifies art; when sound is aligned with dharma, music becomes a divine path rather than mere entertainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the glorification through the sanctity of divine song; the specific tīrtha name is not stated in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it highlights saṅkalpa and purity as the inner discipline behind devotional singing.