Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

गणावूचतुः । गांधर्वस्त्वेषलोकोऽमी गंधर्वाश्च शुभव्रताः । देवानां गायनाद्येते चारणाः स्तुतिपाठकाः

Transliteration

gaṇāvūcatuḥ | gāṃdharvastveṣaloko'mī gaṃdharvāśca śubhavratāḥ | devānāṃ gāyanādyete cāraṇāḥ stutipāṭhakāḥ

Translation

侍从答曰：“此乃乾闼婆之界；这些是持吉祥戒行的乾闼婆。他们为诸天歌唱，作天界乐师与吟游者，诵读赞颂之偈。”

Word by Word

• gaṇau: the two groups/attendants
• gaṇau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual)

• ūcatuḥ: said/spoke
• ūcatuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन (Dual)

• gāndharvaḥ: Gāndharva (celestial-musician)
• gāndharvaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gāndharva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थे (but/indeed)

• eṣaḥ: this
• eṣaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• lokaḥ: world/realm
• lokaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• amī: those (yonder)
• amī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• gaṃdharvāḥ: Gandharvas
• gaṃdharvāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṃdharva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• śubhavratāḥ: of auspicious vows
• śubhavratāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्मधारय-समास (śubha-vratāḥ = auspicious-vowed)

• devānām: of the gods
• devānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• gāyanādyete: these (who are) singers and the like
• gāyanādyete: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gāyana (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक) + ete (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); सन्धि-विग्रह: gāyana-ādi ete; तत्पुरुष-समास (gāyanādayaḥ = singers etc.)

• cāraṇāḥ: Cāraṇas (bards)
• cāraṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• stutipāṭhakāḥ: reciters of hymns/praises
• stutipāṭhakāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stuti (प्रातिपदिक) + pāṭhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (stuteḥ pāṭhakāḥ = reciters of praises)

Speaker

Gaṇas (attendants) replying

Characters & Entities

• Gandharva
• Deva
• Cāraṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred song and hymn-recitation, performed with disciplined vows, are honored as divine service.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is mentioned; the verse identifies Gandharva-loka within the broader Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a ritual rule, but a devotional practice is described: singing and reciting hymns for the gods.