Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

एके नृत्यं प्रकुर्वंति गीतमन्ये जपं परे । अन्ये होमं द्विजश्रेष्ठा धर्माख्यानमथापरे

Transliteration

eke nṛtyaṃ prakurvaṃti gītamanye japaṃ pare | anye homaṃ dvijaśreṣṭhā dharmākhyānamathāpare

Translation

ചിലർ നൃത്തം ചെയ്തു, ചിലർ ഗാനം ചെയ്തു, ചിലർ ജപത്തിൽ ലീനരായി. ഹേ ദ്വിജശ്രേഷ്ഠ, ചിലർ ഹോമം ചെയ്തു, മറ്റുചിലർ ധർമ്മോപാഖ്യാനങ്ങളും കഥകളും പാരായണം ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• एके: some
• एके: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; ‘some’

• नृत्यम्: dance
• नृत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• प्रकुर्वन्ति: perform
• प्रकुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• गीतम्: song/singing
• गीतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; ‘others’

• जपम्: muttering/prayer (japa)
• जपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• परे: others
• परे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; ‘others (yet)’

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• होमम्: fire-offering (homa)
• होमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: the best Brahmins
• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (श्रेष्ठाः द्विजाः)

• धर्माख्यानम्: religious narration/discourse
• धर्माख्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; (धर्मस्य आख्यानम्) षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• अथ: and/then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक (then/and then)

• अपरे: others
• अपरे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; ‘others’

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (describing the vigil assembly at Mahākāla’s shrine)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa/sage audience addressed as ‘dvijaśreṣṭha’ (best of brāhmaṇas) within the narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vibrant midnight congregation: some dance in devotion, others sing; priests chant japa; a homa fire blazes; storytellers recite dharma narratives to attentive listeners.

Characters & Entities

• Nṛtya
• Gīta
• Japa
• Homa
• Dharma-ākhyāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion has many orthodox forms—song, mantra, fire-offering, and dharma discourse—united by intent to honor the deity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mahākāla shrine where a collective night vigil is underway.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Jāgara-associated observances: nṛtya, gīta, japa, homa, and dharmākhyāna.