Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

रात्रौ जागरणं कृत्वा गीतनृत्यकथादिभिः । प्रातः कुमारीः संपूज्य द्वादशाच्छादनादिभिः

Transliteration

rātrau jāgaraṇaṃ kṛtvā gītanṛtyakathādibhiḥ | prātaḥ kumārīḥ saṃpūjya dvādaśācchādanādibhiḥ

Translation

وبعد السهر ليلًا في يقظةٍ تعبّدية بالإنشاد والرقص وتلاوة القصص ونحو ذلك، ثم صباحًا تُكرَّم الفتيات الصغيرات على الوجه اللائق، ويُهدى إليهن اثنا عشر ثوبًا/غطاءً وسائر العطايا، تكتمل الشعيرة.

Word by Word

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (वैदिक/प्रयोगः: रात्रौ)

• जागरणम्: wakefulness/vigil
• जागरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकाले कृतक्रिया (having done)

• गीतनृत्यकथादिभिः: with songs, dances, stories, etc.
• गीतनृत्यकथादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक) + नृत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कथा (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (गीतानि च नृत्यानि च कथाः च आदयः)

• प्रातः: in the morning
• प्रातः: Adhikarana/Temporal (Time reference/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रातः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: in the morning)

• कुमारीः: maidens/young girls
• कुमारीः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• संपूज्य: having worshipped well
• संपूज्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-प्राय (absolutive/gerund; -य form), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकाले कृतक्रिया (having duly worshipped)

• द्वादशाच्छादनादिभिः: with twelve coverings/garments and the like
• द्वादशाच्छादनादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादश (प्रातिपदिक) + आच्छादन (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (द्वादश आच्छादनानि आदयः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṅgalāgaurī-vrata (jāgaraṇa and kumārī-pūjā limb)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A night-long temple courtyard vigil: devotees sing and dance with lamps and cymbals before Maṅgalāgaurī; at sunrise, twelve young maidens are seated in a row, each receiving cloth coverings and respectful worship.

Characters & Entities

• Maṅgalāgaurī
• Kumārī-pūjā
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is made complete through wakeful remembrance, sacred arts, and honoring the divine presence in the innocent (kumārīs).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The vow is situated in Kāśī’s mahatmya, where such observances are praised as especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Night-long vigil with devotional activities and morning kumārī-pūjā with gifts such as garments/coverings.