Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

चतुर्विधानि वाद्यानि वाद्यंते च क्वचित्क्वचित् । प्रत्यध्वं चंदनरसच्छटा पिच्छिलभूमयः

Transliteration

caturvidhāni vādyāni vādyaṃte ca kvacitkvacit | pratyadhvaṃ caṃdanarasacchaṭā picchilabhūmayaḥ

Translation

کہیں کہیں چار قسم کے ساز بجائے جاتے تھے؛ اور ہر راہ پر چندن کے لیپ کے چھینٹوں سے زمین ہموار، ملائم اور خوشبودار ہو گئی تھی۔

Word by Word

• catur-vidhāni: fourfold, of four kinds
• catur-vidhāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (चार प्रकाराणि)

• vādyāni: musical instruments
• vādyāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vādya (प्रातिपदिक; √vad वद् + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• vādyante: are played/sounded
• vādyante: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vad (वद्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (are played/sounded)

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

• kvacit: somewhere
• kvacit: Deśa (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (somewhere)

• kvacit: here and there
• kvacit: Deśa (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (here and there)

• prati: along/towards
• prati: Sambandha (Prepositional/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: अव्यय; उपपद (towards/along)

• adhvam: the road/path
• adhvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhvan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (prati + adhvam = along the road)

• candana-rasa-chaṭāḥ: sprays of sandal-juice
• candana-rasa-chaṭāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: candana (प्रातिपदिक) + rasa (प्रातिपदिक) + chaṭā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (चंदनस्य रसः, तस्य छटाः = sprays of sandal paste/liquid)

• picchila-bhūmayaḥ: slippery grounds
• picchila-bhūmayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: picchila (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (पिच्छिलाः भूमयः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (festival mārga)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A sage

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Festival lanes where ensembles play strings, drums, cymbals, and flutes; attendants sprinkle sandal-paste solution along the road, leaving a glossy, fragrant sheen under lamplight.

Characters & Entities

• Musical instruments (vādyāni)
• Sandal (candana)
• Roadways
• Śiva (context)
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred celebration sanctifies space—sound (music) and fragrance (sandal) transform ordinary roads into devotional pathways.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is implied through the description of processional roads and temple-centered festivity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied festival rites include playing instruments (vādyasevā) and applying sandal paste (candana) as auspicious temple/festival practice.