Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

भ्रामयेन्नगरं सर्वं नानावाद्यैः समन्वितम् । स्थापयेद्भ्रामयित्वा तु सकलं नगरं नृपः

Transliteration

bhrāmayennagaraṃ sarvaṃ nānāvādyaiḥ samanvitam | sthāpayedbhrāmayitvā tu sakalaṃ nagaraṃ nṛpaḥ

Translation

നാനാവിധ വാദ്യങ്ങളോടുകൂടെ മുഴുവൻ നഗരത്തെയും ശോഭായാത്രയായി പരിക്രമിപ്പിക്കണം; പരിക്രമിപ്പിച്ച ശേഷം രാജാവ് സമസ്ത നഗരത്തെയും യഥാസ്ഥാനത്ത് സ്ഥാപിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• भ्रामयेत्: should cause to go around / should parade
• भ्रामयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिजन्त—‘भ्रामयति’ (to cause to go around)

• नगरम्: the city
• नगरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सर्वम्: entire
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘नगरम्’ इति विशेषण

• नानावाद्यैः: with various musical instruments
• नानावाद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाना (अव्यय) + वाद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—नानाविधानि वाद्यानि

• समन्वितम्: accompanied/filled (with)
• समन्वितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + अन्वि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘नगरम्’ इति विशेषण—युक्तम्

• स्थापयेत्: should set/establish
• स्थापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिजन्त—‘स्थापयति’

• भ्रामयित्वा: having caused to go around
• भ्रामयित्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु) + णिच् + क्त्वा (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); णिजन्त-धातोः—‘भ्रामयित्वा’ (having paraded)

• तु: then
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अनन्तरार्थक-निपात (particle: ‘but/then’)

• सकलम्: whole
• सकलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘नगरम्’ इति विशेषण

• नगरम्: the city
• नगरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नृपः: the king
• नृपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand chariot procession circles the entire city: banners, parasols, garlands, and multiple instrument groups; the king oversees the movement, and after the circuit the procession returns and stations the deity and attendants in their proper places.

Characters & Entities

• Nṛpa (king)
• Nagara (city)
• Prabhāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Public devotion is also social dharma: orderly, reverent celebration integrates the whole community into sacred practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, described through its city-wide festival procession traditions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A city-wide circumambulating procession with music, overseen by the king, followed by orderly re-establishment of the procession’s stations.