Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

उपवासपरो भूत्वा ध्यायमानो महेश्वरम् । गीतवाद्येन हृद्येन नृत्येन द्विजसत्तमाः । धर्माख्यानेन विप्राणां वेदाध्ययनविस्तरैः

Transliteration

upavāsaparo bhūtvā dhyāyamāno maheśvaram | gītavādyena hṛdyena nṛtyena dvijasattamāḥ | dharmākhyānena viprāṇāṃ vedādhyayanavistaraiḥ

Translation

เมื่อทรงถืออุโบสถและเพ่งภาวนาต่อพระมหेशวร โอ้พราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐ (การเฝ้าตื่นนั้น) ประกอบด้วยบทเพลงและดุริยางค์อันไพเราะ การร่ายรำ การสาธยายธรรมกถาโดยพราหมณ์ และการศึกษา–สวดพระเวทอย่างกว้างขวาง

Word by Word

• उपवासपरः: devoted to fasting
• उपवासपरः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of implied subject/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upavāsa + para (उपवास प्रातिपदिक + पर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom./1st), एकवचन (sg.); तत्पुरुष-समास (उपवासे परः = उपवास-निष्ठः)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable)

• ध्यायमानः: meditating
• ध्यायमानः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of subject/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dhyai (ध्यै धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (Present participle), पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom./1st), एकवचन (sg.)

• महेश्वरम्: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object of meditation/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + īśvara (महा प्रातिपदिक + ईश्वर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (Acc./2nd), एकवचन (sg.); कर्मधारय-समास

• गीतवाद्येन: with song and instrumental music
• गीतवाद्येन: Karaṇa (Means/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gīta + vādya (गीत प्रातिपदिक + वाद्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), तृतीया (Instr./3rd), एकवचन (sg.); द्वन्द्व-समास (गीतं च वाद्यं च)

• हृद्येन: pleasing/charming
• हृद्येन: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of gītavādyena/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛdya (हृद्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), तृतीया (Instr./3rd), एकवचन (sg.); (करणे विशेषण)

• नृत्येन: with dance
• नृत्येन: Karaṇa (Means/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛtya (नृत्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), तृतीया (Instr./3rd), एकवचन (sg.)

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of Brahmins
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense in context/सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija + sattama (द्विज प्रातिपदिक + सत्तम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom./1st), बहुवचन (pl.); कर्मधारय-समास (सत्तमा द्विजाः)

• धर्माख्यानेन: by narration of dharma
• धर्माख्यानेन: Karaṇa (Means/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma + ākhyāna (धर्म प्रातिपदिक + आख्यान प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), तृतीया (Instr./3rd), एकवचन (sg.); तत्पुरुष-समास (धर्मस्य आख्यानम्)

• विप्राणाम्: of the Brahmins
• विप्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (विप्र प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), षष्ठी (Gen./6th), बहुवचन (pl.)

• वेदाध्ययनविस्तरैः: with extensive Vedic recitations/study
• वेदाध्ययनविस्तरैः: Karaṇa (Means/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda + adhyayana + vistara (वेद प्रातिपदिक + अध्ययन प्रातिपदिक + विस्तार प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.)/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.) बहुवचन-तृतीया (Instr./3rd pl.); बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास (वेदस्य अध्ययनस्य विस्तारैः)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkārapura Mahākāla-pīṭha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-sattamāḥ / dvijoत्तमāḥ (addressed brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vibrant night vigil: devotees fasting and meditating while musicians play, dancers perform as offering, brāhmaṇas recite dharma narratives and chant Vedas in the lamp-lit temple hall before Mahākāla.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic worship integrates body, mind, and speech—fasting and meditation joined to dharma-teaching and Vedic recitation as a complete offering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Mahākāla worship context at the named kṣetra (from the previous verse), the verse details the manner of observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (fasting), dhyāna of Maheśvara, devotional music and dance, dharma discourse, and Veda-adhyayana as components of the vigil.