Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

स्वमूर्त्तिवाहनोपेताः स्वभर्तृसहिताः स्थिताः । ब्रह्मा मृदंगवाद्येन तोषयामास शंकरम्

Transliteration

svamūrttivāhanopetāḥ svabhartṛsahitāḥ sthitāḥ | brahmā mṛdaṃgavādyena toṣayāmāsa śaṃkaram

Translation

Обладая собственными обликами и ваханами и стоя рядом со своими владыками, Брахма усладил Шанкару игрой на барабане мридаṅга.

Word by Word

• sva: own
• sva: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धवाचक-विशेषण (possessive adjective), समासपूर्वपदत्वेन

• mūrtti: form/embodiment
• mūrtti: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• vāhana: vehicle
• vāhana: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• upetāḥ: endowed/attended (with)
• upetāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upa√i (धातु) → upeta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग (समूहवाचकः); ‘युक्ताः/समुपेताः’

• svabhartṛsahitāḥ: accompanied by their own husbands
• svabhartṛsahitāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva + bhartṛ + sahita (प्रातिपदिक; सह (उपसर्ग) + √i (धातु) → sahita)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः sva-bhartṛ + sahita (तत्पुरुषः: ‘स्वभर्तृभिः सहिताः’)

• sthitāḥ: stood/remained
• sthitāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (धातु) → sthita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; ‘स्थिताः’

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• mṛdaṅgavādyena: with mṛdaṅga music/drumming
• mṛdaṅgavādyena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛdaṅga + vādya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः mṛdaṅga-vādya (तत्पुरुषः: ‘मृदङ्गस्य वाद्येन’/‘drum-music’)

• toṣayāmāsa: pleased/satisfied
• toṣayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tuṣ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; causative sense in stem (toṣaya-) ‘caused to be pleased’

• śaṅkaram: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• śaṅkaram: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṅkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa; exact speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand divine sabhā at a sacred tīrtha: Brahmā, with his mount and retinue, plays the mṛdaṅga to delight Śaṅkara; other deities stand in ordered ranks, each with their vāhana and consorts, forming a ceremonial orchestra before Śiva.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Śaṅkara
• Mṛdaṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest deities honor Śiva through service; devotional music is portrayed as a direct means to please Śaṅkara.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding Tīrthamāhātmya glorifies a sacred setting, while this verse highlights the worship-event (music to Śiva) rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Musical offering (vādyasevā)—here, mṛdaṅga-vādana—is presented as an act of worship.