Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

विशेषाद्धर्षसंयुक्ता विविधैर्गीतवादनैः । धर्माख्यानैश्च नृत्यैश्च वेदोच्चारैः पृथग्विधैः । तदारभ्य नृपाः सर्वे प्रचक्रुर्विस्मयान्विताः

Transliteration

viśeṣāddharṣasaṃyuktā vividhairgītavādanaiḥ | dharmākhyānaiśca nṛtyaiśca vedoccāraiḥ pṛthagvidhaiḥ | tadārabhya nṛpāḥ sarve pracakrurvismayānvitāḥ

Translation

വിശേഷ ഹർഷത്തോടെ, വിവിധ ഗീത-വാദ്യങ്ങൾ, ധർമ്മാഖ്യാനങ്ങൾ, നൃത്തങ്ങൾ, നാനാവിധ വേദോച്ചാരണങ്ങൾ എന്നിവയാൽ, അന്നുമുതൽ എല്ലാ രാജാക്കളും വിസ്മയഭരിതരായി ജാഗരണം ആചരിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• विशेषात्: especially; due to special (reason)
• विशेषात्: Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; हेतौ (because of/especially due to)

• हर्ष-संयुक्ताः: joined with joy; joyful
• हर्ष-संयुक्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुक्त (कृदन्त; √युज्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः; ‘हर्षेण संयुक्ताः’; पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• विविधैः: with various
• विविधैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• गीत-वादनैः: with songs and instrumental music
• गीत-वादनैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक) + वादन (कृदन्त; √वद्/√वाद्)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समासः (गीतं च वादनं च); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• धर्म-आख्यानैः: with narrations of dharma
• धर्म-आख्यानैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (धर्मस्य आख्यानानि); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Connector (Samuccaya)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्

• नृत्यैः: with dances
• नृत्यैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Connector (Samuccaya)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्

• वेद-उच्चारैः: with recitations of the Veda
• वेद-उच्चारैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + उच्चार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (वेदस्य उच्चाराः); पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• पृथक्-विधैः: of distinct kinds
• पृथक्-विधैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समासः (‘पृथग्विध’ = विविधप्रकार); पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• तद्-आरभ्य: from that time onward
• तद्-आरभ्य: Adverbial (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम) + आरभ्य (कृदन्त-अव्यय; √रभ्, ल्यप्)
• Form: अव्ययीभावः; ‘ततः आरभ्य’ इत्यर्थे; अव्ययम् (from then on)

• नृपाः: kings
• नृपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (नृपाः)

• प्रचक्रुः: they performed
• प्रचक्रुः: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• विस्मय-अन्विताः: filled with wonder
• विस्मय-अन्विताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त; √इ/√अन्वि)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः; ‘विस्मयेन अन्विताः’; पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (narrative continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla-sthāna

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vibrant all-night festival: singers with cymbals, drummers, vīṇā players; dancers in devotional poses; learned reciters chanting Veda; storytellers narrating dharma; kings and nobles watching in wonder before Mahākāla’s shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla
• Sūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional celebration—music, dharma-kathā, dance, and Vedic recitation—becomes a collective offering that sustains sacred tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahākāla’s kṣetra is implied as the setting for the vigil and its celebratory worship (traditionally Ujjain).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Jāgaraṇa supported by gīta-vādya (devotional music), dharmākhyāna (religious narration), nṛtya (dance), and vedoccāra (Vedic chanting).