Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

वाग्देवी धृतवल्लकी शतमखो वेणुं दधत्पद्मजस्तालोन्निद्रकरो रमा भगवती गेयप्रयोगान्विता । विष्णुः सांद्रमृदंगवादनपटुर्देवाः समंतात्स्थिताः सेवंते तमनु प्रदोषसमये देवं मृडानीपतिम्

Transliteration

vāgdevī dhṛtavallakī śatamakho veṇuṃ dadhatpadmajastālonnidrakaro ramā bhagavatī geyaprayogānvitā | viṣṇuḥ sāṃdramṛdaṃgavādanapaṭurdevāḥ samaṃtātsthitāḥ sevaṃte tamanu pradoṣasamaye devaṃ mṛḍānīpatim

Translation

วากเทวี (สรัสวตี) ทรงถือวีณา; ศตมขะ (อินทรา) ทรงถือขลุ่ย; ปัทมชะ (พรหมา) ยกพระหัตถ์ให้จังหวะตาละ; พระนางรมา (ลักษมี) ผู้เป็นภควตีชำนาญในบทขับร้อง. พระวิษณุทรงชำนาญในการตีมฤทังคะอันกังวาน; เหล่าเทพยืนรายรอบ—ดังนี้ในยามประโทษะพวกเขาปรนนิบัติพระผู้เป็นเจ้า ผู้เป็นสวามีแห่งมฤฑานี (ปารวตี)

Word by Word

• vāk-devī: the goddess of speech (Sarasvatī)
• vāk-devī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāk+devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः वाक्+देवी (कर्मधारयः)

• dhṛta-vallakī: holding a vīṇā
• dhṛta-vallakī: Karta (Agent-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhṛta+vallakī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः धृत+वल्लकी (बहुव्रीहिः: 'she who holds a lute')

• śatamakhaḥ: Śatamakha (Indra)
• śatamakhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatamakha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (इन्द्रः: 'he of a hundred sacrifices')

• veṇum: flute
• veṇum: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• dadhat: holding
• dadhat: Karta (Agent-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (शतमुखः इति विशेषणम्)

• padmajaḥ: Padmaja (Brahmā)
• padmajaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padma+ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः पद्म+ज (तत्पुरुषः: 'lotus-born' = Brahmā)

• tāla-unnidra-karaḥ: with hands raised for rhythm
• tāla-unnidra-karaḥ: Karta (Agent-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāla+unnidra+kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः ताल+उन्निद्र+कर (बहुव्रीहिः: 'whose hands are raised for keeping time')

• ramā: Ramā (Lakṣmī)
• ramā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ramā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• bhagavatī: the blessed goddess
• bhagavatī: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhagavatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (रमा इति विशेष्यस्य)

• geya-prayoga-anvitā: endowed with musical renditions
• geya-prayoga-anvitā: Karta (Agent-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: geya+prayoga+anvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः गेय+प्रयोग (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) + अन्विता (तत्पुरुषः: 'endowed with musical performance')

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sāṃdra-mṛdaṃga-vādana-paṭuḥ: skilled at playing the resonant mṛdaṅga
• sāṃdra-mṛdaṃga-vādana-paṭuḥ: Karta (Agent-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sāṃdra+mṛdaṃga+vādana+paṭu (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः सांद्र+मृदङ्ग (कर्मधारयः) + वादन (तत्पुरुषः) + पटु (तत्पुरुषः: 'skilled in playing the deep mṛdaṅga')

• devāḥ: the gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• samantāt: on all sides
• samantāt: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samantāt (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: on all sides)

• sthitāḥ: standing
• sthitāḥ: Karta (Agent-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (देवाḥ इति विशेषणम्)

• sevante: serve/attend
• sevante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sev (धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• tam: him
• tam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• anu: following/attending
• anu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anu (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (postposition: after/along; here: in accordance/attending)

• pradoṣa-samaye: at pradoṣa time
• pradoṣa-samaye: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pradoṣa-samaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः प्रदोष+समय (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• devam: the god
• devam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• mṛḍānī-patim: husband of Mṛḍānī (Śiva)
• mṛḍānī-patim: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛḍānī+pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः मृडानी+पति (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

Speaker

Unknown (devotional narrator within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kailāsa (as archetype for Pradoṣa worship everywhere)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial concert around Śiva at Pradoṣa: Sarasvatī with vīṇā, Indra with flute, Brahmā keeping tāla, Lakṣmī singing, Viṣṇu playing mṛdaṅga; devas encircle, all serving Śiva, Pārvatī nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Mṛḍānīpati)
• Pārvatī (Mṛḍānī)
• Sarasvatī
• Indra
• Brahmā
• Lakṣmī (Ramā)
• Viṣṇu
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pradoṣa is exalted as a supreme devotional moment: even the highest deities express reverence by serving Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No earthly tīrtha is specified; the verse depicts a celestial liturgy around Śiva, strengthening the māhātmya of Pradoṣa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied: worship Śiva at Pradoṣa with music, song, and devoted attendance (sevā/bhakti).