Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

गीतं वा यदि वा नृत्यं तत्पुरः कुरुते नरः । स सर्वेषां भजेच्छ्रेयो मखानां नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

gītaṃ vā yadi vā nṛtyaṃ tatpuraḥ kurute naraḥ | sa sarveṣāṃ bhajecchreyo makhānāṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

无论歌咏或舞蹈，若有人在彼主尊前奉行，便得至上善果，功德等同一切祭祀；对此毫无疑惑。

Word by Word

• गीतम्: song
• गीतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP used as noun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘that which is sung’

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional particle)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय

• नृत्यम्: dance
• नृत्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्पुरः: in his presence
• तत्पुरः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पुरः (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; तस्य पुरः = तत्पुरः; स्थानवाचक अव्यय (in his presence)

• कुरुते: does / performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन; ‘of all’ (qualifying मखानाम्)

• भजेत्: would obtain
• भजेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• श्रेयः: the best merit
• श्रेयः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (कर्मरूपेण); ‘benefit/merit’

• मखानाम्: of sacrifices
• मखानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘no doubt’ इति वाक्यांशे

Speaker

Brahmasaṃbhava Muni (deduced from concluding verse of the passage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahāyogipura (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a temple hall, devotees sing while a dancer performs a restrained devotional nṛtya before a decorated Śiva-liṅga; above, symbolic sacrificial fires and offerings appear as luminous overlays, indicating ‘all sacrifices’ fulfilled.

Characters & Entities

• Gīta
• Nṛtya
• Makhāḥ (sacrifices)
• Śiva (implied by context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti expressed through art (song and dance) is treated as a complete offering, equivalent to the cumulative merit of ritual sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Rudrāvarta/Mahāyogipura setting, where such devotional acts are performed in the deity’s presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering gīta (singing) or nṛtya (dance) as devotional service before the deity.