Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

कुर्य्याद्दण्डनमस्कारमश्वमेधायुतैः समम् । कृष्णं संतोषयेद्यस्तु सुगीतैर्मधुरैः स्वरैः । सामवेदफलं तस्य जायते नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

kuryyāddaṇḍanamaskāramaśvamedhāyutaiḥ samam | kṛṣṇaṃ saṃtoṣayedyastu sugītairmadhuraiḥ svaraiḥ | sāmavedaphalaṃ tasya jāyate nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

ദണ്ഡനമസ്കാരത്തിന്റെ പുണ്യം പത്തായിരം അശ്വമേധയാഗങ്ങൾക്കു തുല്യം. മധുരസ്വരങ്ങളോടെ സുസംഗീതം പാടി കൃഷ്ണനെ സന്തോഷിപ്പിക്കുന്നവന് സാമവേദഫലം ലഭിക്കുന്നു—ഇതിൽ സംശയമില്ല.

Word by Word

• कुर्यात्: should do / would perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular)

• दण्ड-नमस्कारम्: prostration like a staff (full prostration)
• दण्ड-नमस्कारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + नमस्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दण्डेन कृतः नमस्कारः)

• अश्वमेध-आयुतैः: with ten-thousands of Aśvamedha (sacrifices)
• अश्वमेध-आयुतैः: Upamāna/Instrument (तुल्यकरण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक) + आयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अश्वमेधानाम् आयुतैः = ten-thousands of Aśvamedhas)

• समम्: equally / on a par
• समम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; (क्रियाविशेषणवत्) ‘समम्’ = तुल्यम्

• कृष्णम्: Krishna
• कृष्णम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• संतोषयेत्: should please / should satisfy
• संतोषयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + तुष् (धातु) [णिच् causative: तोषय]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; णिच् (causative)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धबोधकः (relative pronoun)

• तु: indeed / but
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• सु-गीतैः: with well-sung (songs)
• सु-गीतैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + गीत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सुगीतानि = well-sung songs)

• मधुरैः: sweet
• मधुरैः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मधुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्; ‘स्वरैः’ इति विशेषणम्

• स्वरैः: with tones/notes
• स्वरैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्

• सामवेद-फलम्: the fruit of the Sāmaveda
• सामवेद-फलम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामवेद (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सामवेदस्य फलम्)

• तस्य: of him / his
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्

• जायते: arises / is obtained
• जायते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अत्र: here / in this matter
• अत्र: Adverbial (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (the King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee lies fully prostrate before Kṛṣṇa; nearby, singers with vīṇā and cymbals offer melodious kīrtana, while the deity is shown ‘pleased’ with a gentle, blessing gaze.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Aśvamedha
• Sāma Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humble surrender (prostration) and heartfelt devotional music can surpass great ritual grandeur in spiritual fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, where worship of Kṛṣṇa through prostration and song is extolled.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing daṇḍa-namaskāra and offering melodious devotional singing to please Kṛṣṇa.