Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

व्यास उवाच । मुदितस्यापि पुत्रस्य गर्दभस्यार्भकस्य च । भस्मलोलस्य लोकस्य शब्दोऽपि रटतो मुदे

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | muditasyāpi putrasya gardabhasyārbhakasya ca | bhasmalolasya lokasya śabdo'pi raṭato mude

Translation

พระวยาสตรัสว่า: เพื่อบุตรผู้ทำให้ยินดี—แม้จะเป็นดั่งลูกลาของทารก—โลกที่หลงใหลเถ้าธุลีนี้ก็ยังเปล่งเสียงร้องตะโกนด้วยความชื่นชมยินดี

Word by Word

• vyāsaḥ: Vyāsa
• vyāsaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेष-नाम

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• muditasya: of the delighted
• muditasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mudita (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying putrasya)

• api: even / also
• api: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (concessive/also)

• putrasya: of the son
• putrasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• gardabhasya: of a donkey
• gardabhasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gardabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• arbhakasya: of a child/infant
• arbhakasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arbhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• bhasmalolasya: of the ash-fickle (restless for ashes)
• bhasmalolasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhasma + lola (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying lokasya)

• lokasya: of the world/people
• lokasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• śabdaḥ: sound/cry
• śabdaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śabda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• raṭataḥ: of (one) shouting
• raṭataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: raṭ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying śabdaḥ: ‘of one who is shouting’)

• mude: for joy
• mude: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mud (प्रातिपदिक: mudā/mud)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; सम्प्रदान (purpose/for joy)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śrī Śukadeva / sage-assembly (frame interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vyāsa speaks while a crowd erupts in celebratory cries around a newborn; an ironic twist shows the ‘infant donkey’ motif—symbolic donkey imagery near the cradle—while ash/dust swirls, hinting at mortality and futility.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly society often celebrates attachment blindly, valuing mere appearances and transient gains.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse is ethical/social commentary within the broader māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it critiques misplaced joy rather than prescribing a rite.