Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

या नृत्यं कुरुते तत्र भक्त्या परमया युता । आरोग्यसुखसौभाग्यैः संयुक्ता सा भवेच्चिरम्

Transliteration

yā nṛtyaṃ kurute tatra bhaktyā paramayā yutā | ārogyasukhasaubhāgyaiḥ saṃyuktā sā bhavecciram

Translation

അവിടെ പരമഭക്തിയോടെ നൃത്തം ചെയ്യുന്ന സ്ത്രീ ദീർഘകാലം ആരോഗ്യവും സുഖവും സൗഭാഗ്യവും ചേർന്നവളായി നിലനിൽക്കും।

Word by Word

• या: who (she)
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Relative pronoun, nominative singular

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

• कुरुते: does/performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; Present, 3rd person singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• परमया: supreme
• परमया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular; विशेषणम् (भक्त्या)

• युता: endowed (with)
• युता: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; agrees with 'या'

• आरोग्यसुखसौभाग्यैः: with health, happiness, and good fortune
• आरोग्यसुखसौभाग्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आरोग्य+सुख+सौभाग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural; समासः—द्वन्द्व (आरोग्यं च सुखं च सौभाग्यं च)

• संयुक्ता: joined/possessed (of)
• संयुक्ता: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; predicate adjective of 'सा'

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• भवेत्: may be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/आशीः), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Optative, 3rd person singular

• चिरम्: for a long time
• चिरम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

Speaker

Unclear from snippet (consistent with the Gaurī-sthāna boon-statements)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual locus of the verse)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A goddess/Devī addressee is implied in the surrounding address-style; also the general audience of pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within the Prabhāsa sacred precinct near the sea, a devotee-woman performs a reverent dance with folded-hands gestures between movements; lamps and temple banners sway; other pilgrims watch in quiet devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī-sthāna (implied)
• Bhakti
• Nṛtya
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti expressed through sacred performance is a legitimate form of worship, linked to well-being and auspicious living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra—specifically the locale of Gaurī’s presence (Gaurī-sthāna/Gaurīśvara setting).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing devotional dance at the holy site with ‘paramā bhakti’ (supreme devotion).