Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

मानकूटं तुलाकूटं कन्याहयगवां क्रयात् । तत्सर्वं विलयं याति द्वादश्यां जागरे कृते

Transliteration

mānakūṭaṃ tulākūṭaṃ kanyāhayagavāṃ krayāt | tatsarvaṃ vilayaṃ yāti dvādaśyāṃ jāgare kṛte

Translation

الغشّ في المكاييل، والغشّ في الموازين، والإثم الناشئ من بيع وشراء الفتيات أو الخيل أو البقر—كلّ ذلك يذوب ويزول إذا أُقيم سهرُ الدفادشي (Dvādaśī) تعبّدًا.

Word by Word

• मानकूटम्: false measure (fraud in weights)
• मानकूटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मान-कूट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘मानस्य कूटम्’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; fraudulent measure/weight

• तुलाकूटम्: false scale (fraud in weighing)
• तुलाकूटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुला-कूट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘तुलायाः कूटम्’ षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; fraud in scales

• कन्याहयगवाम्: of girls, horses, and cows
• कन्याहयगवाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या-हय-गव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (कन्या) + पुंलिङ्ग (हय) + पुंलिङ्ग (गो) इत्येषां द्वन्द्वः; षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; ‘of girls, horses, and cows’

• क्रयात्: from purchase/sale (trade)
• क्रयात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; Ablative singular ‘from (the act of) purchase’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; demonstrative ‘that’

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘all (of that)’

• विलयम्: dissolution, destruction
• विलयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; Accusative singular; goal/state ‘dissolution’

• याति: goes to, becomes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘goes/comes to’

• द्वादश्याम्: on Dvādaśī
• द्वादश्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; Locative singular ‘on the Dvādaśī (12th lunar day)’

• जागरे: in the vigil
• जागरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; Locative singular ‘in/at the vigil’

• कृते: when (it is) done
• कृते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘when done/being performed’ (locative absolute with जागरे)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced from section continuity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A merchant lays down false weights and measures before the shrine, performing a Dvādaśī vigil in contrition; the corrupted tools dissolve into light, replaced by honest scales, while Keśava’s presence signifies purification.

Characters & Entities

• Dvādaśī
• Jāgaraṇa
• Dharma (trade ethics)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A Dvādaśī vigil is portrayed as a powerful purifier capable of dissolving heavy moral and social transgressions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Dvārakā Māhātmya, the vow is implicitly connected to the Dvārakā-centered Vaiṣṇava sacred sphere.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Jāgaraṇa (night vigil) on Dvādaśī.