Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

अग्रगा ह्यपि शोभंतः श्रिया परमया युताः । तथा शंखाश्च भेर्यश्च पटहानकगोमुखाः

Transliteration

agragā hyapi śobhaṃtaḥ śriyā paramayā yutāḥ | tathā śaṃkhāśca bheryaśca paṭahānakagomukhāḥ

Translation

หมู่ผู้เดินนำหน้าล้วนงามสง่า ประกอบด้วยศรีอันสูงสุด; และเสียงสังข์ กลองเภรี กลองปฏหะ กลองอานกะ และแตรโคมุข ก็ดังก้องไปทั่ว

Word by Word

• agragāḥ: those going in front
• agragāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agraga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle; indeed/for)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also/even)

• śobhantaḥ: shining/beautiful
• śobhantaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √śubh (धातु) → śobhat (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकर्तरि कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of agragāḥ)

• śriyā: with splendour
• śriyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• paramayā: supreme
• paramayā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of śriyā)

• yutāḥ: endowed (with)
• yutāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuta (कृदन्त; √yuj युज्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of agragāḥ)

• tathā: and likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अन्वयार्थक

• śaṃkhāḥ: conches
• śaṃkhāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• bheryaḥ: kettledrums
• bheryaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bherī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• paṭaha-ānaka-gomukhāḥ: paṭaha-drums, ānaka-drums, and gomukha-horns
• paṭaha-ānaka-gomukhāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṭaha (प्रातिपदिक) + ānaka (प्रातिपदिक) + gomukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (paṭahāḥ ca ānakāḥ ca gomukhāḥ ca)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the head of the procession, radiant leaders advance; conches are blown, bherī kettle-drums and paṭaha tabors beat, ānaka drums resound, and gomukha horns curve like bull’s mouths—sound waves filling the mountain air.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspicious sound (maṅgala-nāda) is presented as an offering that magnifies the sanctity of Śiva’s festival.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra, through the vivid description of its grand Śaiva festival procession.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No injunction; it lists the traditional festival instruments used to honour the deity.