Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

कच्चिच्छिवालये नृत्यगीतवाद्यादिकाः क्रियाः । बलिपूजोपहारांश्च त्वं करोषि च शक्तितः

Transliteration

kaccicchivālaye nṛtyagītavādyādikāḥ kriyāḥ | balipūjopahārāṃśca tvaṃ karoṣi ca śaktitaḥ

Translation

നീ നിന്റെ ശേഷിയനുസരിച്ച് ശിവാലയത്തിൽ നൃത്തം, ഗാനം, വാദ്യസേവകൾ തുടങ്ങിയവയും, കൂടാതെ ബലി, പൂജ, മറ്റ് ഉപഹാരങ്ങളും സമർപ്പിക്കുമോ?

Word by Word

• कच्चित्: whether...?
• कच्चित्: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• शिवालये: in the temple of Śiva
• शिवालये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवालय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शिवस्य आलयः)

• नृत्यगीतवाद्यादिकाः: such as dance, song, instruments, etc.
• नृत्यगीतवाद्यादिकाः: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नृत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गीत (प्रातिपदिक) + वाद्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आदिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying 'क्रियाः'); समाहार/सूची-तत्पुरुष (नृत्य-गीत-वाद्य-आदि)

• क्रियाः: acts/ritual activities
• क्रियाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• बलिपूजोपहारान्: offerings, worship, and gifts
• बलिपूजोपहारान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक) + उपहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (बलयः पूजाः उपहाराः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• करोषि: you do / perform
• करोषि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शक्तितः: to the best of (your) ability
• शक्तितः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb); 'according to ability'

Speaker

Unspecified (Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śivālaya-sevā (general)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed to a ‘fortunate/noble’ woman in the ‘kaccit’ sequence

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a Śiva temple: liṅga on pedestal with bilva leaves; dancers in devotional posture; singers and instrumentalists (mṛdaṅga, vīṇā, cymbals); priests offering bali and upahāras; lamps and incense filling the space.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Temple service offered with devotion—arts, worship, and offerings—becomes a dharmic act when done sincerely within one’s capacity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The line points generally to Śiva-temples within the tīrtha framework; it does not specify a named tīrtha in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing pūjā and making offerings (bali, upahāra), including devotional music/dance in Śiva’s temple.