Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 114

Devanagari script

यः पुनर्नृत्यगीताद्यं कुरुते च तदग्रतः । आजन्ममरणात्पापात्सोऽपि मुक्तिमवाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

yaḥ punarnṛtyagītādyaṃ kurute ca tadagrataḥ | ājanmamaraṇātpāpātso'pi muktimavāpnuyāt

Translation

ยิ่งกว่านั้น ผู้ใดถวายการร่ายรำ การขับร้อง และบูชาอื่น ๆ ต่อพระพักตร์ของพระองค์ ผู้นั้นย่อมหลุดพ้นจากบาปตั้งแต่เกิดจนตาย และบรรลุโมกษะ

Word by Word

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यः

• पुनः: again, moreover
• पुनः: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

• नृत्यगीताद्यम्: dance, song, and the like
• नृत्यगीताद्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गीत (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (नृत्यं च गीतं च आदयः = dance, song, etc.)

• कुरुते: does, performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• तत्: of him/that (person)
• तत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; अग्रतः इत्यस्य सम्बन्धः

• अग्रतः: in front (of him)
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb: in front of)

• आ-जन्य-मरणात्: from birth to death
• आ-जन्य-मरणात्: Sambandha/Extent (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्ययवत् (from birth to death)

• पापात्: from sin
• पापात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-निपात (also, even)

• मुक्तिम्: liberation
• मुक्तिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• अवाप्नुयात्: may attain
• अवाप्नुयात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव√आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple (kshetra context)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotional performance unfolds before the sanctum: singers with cymbals, dancers in reverent posture, and the deity receiving the offering; the atmosphere is ecstatic yet disciplined, culminating in a sense of release and peace.

Characters & Entities

• nṛtya
• gīta
• mokṣa (mukti)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti expressed through heartfelt offerings—even artistic ones—can culminate in profound purification and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse extols worship before the local deity of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa shrine, later named Nimbēśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing nṛtya-gīta (devotional dance and song) and related offerings in the deity’s presence.