Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

गीतविद्याप्रभावेन देवर्षिर्नारदो महान् । मान्यो वैष्णवलोके वै श्रीशंभोश्चातिवल्लभः

Transliteration

gītavidyāprabhāvena devarṣirnārado mahān | mānyo vaiṣṇavaloke vai śrīśaṃbhoścātivallabhaḥ

Translation

గీతవిద్య ప్రభావముచేత మహాదేవర్షి నారదుడు వైష్ణవలోకంలో పూజ్యుడు; శ్రీశంభు (శివ)కూ అతిప్రియుడు.

Word by Word

• गीतविद्याप्रभावेन: by the power of the musical knowledge
• गीतविद्याप्रभावेन: Karaṇa/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत-विद्या-प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/हेतु), एकवचन; समास-विग्रहः: गीतविद्यायाः प्रभावेन (by the influence/power of the science of song)

• देवर्षिः: the divine sage
• देवर्षिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; देवर्षिः इत्यस्य विशेष्य-सम्बन्धः (apposition)

• महान्: great
• महान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नारदस्य विशेषणम्

• मान्यः: honourable, revered
• मान्यः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नारदस्य विशेषणम्

• वैष्णवलोके: in the Vaiṣṇava world
• वैष्णवलोके: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैष्णव-लोक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण (location)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• श्रीशंभोः: of venerable Śambhu (Śiva)
• श्रीशंभोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-शंभु (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Avyaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अतिवल्लभः: exceedingly dear
• अतिवल्लभः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति-वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक; उपसर्गपूर्वक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नारदस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devarṣi Nārada, vīṇā in hand, radiating musical devotion; behind him a paired iconography of Hari and Śambhu indicating equal honor and affection, with Kāśī’s sacred ambience implied by ghāṭs and lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Vaiṣṇava-loka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred music (gīta-vidyā) elevates devotion and earns honor across sectarian realms, showing Hari-Hara harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kāśī Māhātmya context frames the teaching, though this verse itself praises Nārada rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed; the verse extols the spiritual potency of devotional song.