Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

ततस्ते पार्श्वगाः प्रेता एके नृत्यं प्रचक्रिरे । तत्पुरो गीतमन्ये तु स्तुतिं चैव तथा परे

Transliteration

tataste pārśvagāḥ pretā eke nṛtyaṃ pracakrire | tatpuro gītamanye tu stutiṃ caiva tathā pare

Translation

Bấy giờ những Preta hầu cận đứng hai bên: kẻ thì bắt đầu múa; kẻ khác hát trước mặt; và những kẻ nữa dâng lời tán tụng.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereupon
• ततः: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादानार्थ/अनन्तरार्थ (thereupon/then)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन (nominative plural)

• पार्श्वगाः: standing at the side
• पार्श्वगाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पार्श्व + ग (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √गम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण — ‘पार्श्वं गच्छन्ति’/‘पार्श्वे गताः’ (those at the side)

• प्रेताः: ghosts
• प्रेताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• एके: some (of them)
• एके: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-प्रयोग (some)

• नृत्यम्: dance
• नृत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• प्रचक्रिरे: began; performed
• प्रचक्रिरे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद (they did/began)

• तत्पुरः: in front of him/that
• तत्पुरः: Adhikarana (Adverbial locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत् + पुरस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (indeclinable adverb: in front of that)

• गीतम्: song
• गीतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √गै/गाय्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/भेद (particle: but/indeed)

• स्तुतिम्: praise; hymn
• स्तुतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (just/indeed)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थ (likewise/also)

• परे: others (the rest)
• परे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Around the preta-king, attendants perform: some dance in a ring, some sing facing the throne, others stand with folded hands offering hymns; the scene is eerie yet ceremonially ordered.

Characters & Entities

• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer displays can surround power, but the narrative drives toward the deeper question of what act truly brings welfare (śreyas).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it remains within the broader Tīrthamāhātmya context of Nāgara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it mentions performance modes—dance, song, and praise.