Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

शंखभेरीनिनादेन दुन्दुभिध्वनितेन च । गर्जद्भिर्गणवृन्दैश्च मेघस्वनितनिस्वनैः

Transliteration

śaṃkhabherīninādena dundubhidhvanitena ca | garjadbhirgaṇavṛndaiśca meghasvanitanisvanaiḥ

Translation

شنکھ اور بھیری کے نیناد، دُندُبھی کی گونج، اور گنوں کے گرجتے جُھنڈ کے شور سے—اس کی آواز گرجتے بادلوں کی طرح لپکتی اور پھیلتی تھی۔

Word by Word

• शंखभेरीनिनादेन: by the sound of conches and drums
• शंखभेरीनिनादेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक) + भेरी (प्रातिपदिक) + निनाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (निनाद), तृतीया (3), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष: ‘शङ्खभेर्योः निनादेन’ (by the sound of conches and kettle-drums)

• दुन्दुभिध्वनितेन: by the booming of the dundubhi
• दुन्दुभिध्वनितेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुन्दुभि (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वनित (कृदन्त; √ध्वन् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (ध्वनित), तृतीया (3), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष: ‘दुन्दुभेः ध्वनितेन’ (by the reverberation of the dundubhi drum)

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

• गर्जद्भिः: with roaring (ones)
• गर्जद्भिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्जत् (कृदन्त; √गर्ज् (धातु) शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ) ‘roaring’

• गणवृन्दैः: with groups of gaṇas
• गणवृन्दैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक) + वृन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (वृन्द), तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष: ‘गणानां वृन्दैः’ (with groups of attendants/gaṇas)

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

• मेघस्वनितनिस्वनैः: with thunder-like reverberations
• मेघस्वनितनिस्वनैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेघ (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वनित (कृदन्त; √स्वन् (धातु) क्त) + निस्वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (निस्वन), तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष: ‘मेघस्वनितसदृशैः निस्वनैः’ (with sounds like thunderclouds)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual attribution within Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A thunderous festival scene: conches blaring, bherīs and dundubhis booming, while roaring gaṇa-hosts fill the air with a cloud-like rumble around the Prabhāsa shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇa
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred sound (nāda) is a form of worship; the tīrtha becomes a living proclamation of Śiva’s glory.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, portrayed as echoing with divine, thunder-like auspicious sounds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use of śaṅkha and drums in ceremonial worship and festival processions (utsava) to sanctify the directions with sound.