Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

या गतिर्मातृभक्तानां द्वादशीं वेधवर्जिताम् । कुर्वतां जागरं विष्णोर्नृत्यतां गायतां फलम्

Transliteration

yā gatirmātṛbhaktānāṃ dvādaśīṃ vedhavarjitām | kurvatāṃ jāgaraṃ viṣṇornṛtyatāṃ gāyatāṃ phalam

Translation

মাতৃভক্তদের যে পরম গতি, আর অবেধ (শুদ্ধ) দ্বাদশীতে বিষ্ণুর জন্য জাগরণ করে নৃত্য-গীত করা ভক্তদের যে ফল—সেই ফলই লাভ হয়।

Word by Word

• या: which
• या: Visheshya/Link (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गतिः: attainment
• गतिः: Karta/Predicate-noun (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मातृभक्तानाम्: of those devoted to (their) mother
• मातृभक्तानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मातृ + भक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; भज् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘मातरि भक्ताः’ (devoted to mother)

• द्वादशीम्: the Dvādaśī (12th lunar day)
• द्वादशीम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तिथि-नाम

• वेधवर्जिताम्: free from vedha (astronomical overlap)
• वेधवर्जिताम्: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेध + वर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वर्ज् धातु, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; ‘वेधेन वर्जिता’ (free from vedha/overlap) विशेषणम् (qualifying द्वादशीम्)

• कुर्वताम्: of those who perform/do
• कुर्वताम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle) ‘कुर्वत्’; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• जागरम्: night vigil
• जागरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• नृत्यताम्: of those who dance
• नृत्यताम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नृत् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ) ‘नृत्यत्’; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• गायताम्: of those who sing
• गायताम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ) ‘गायत्’; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• फलम्: fruit; result
• फलम्: Karta/Predicate-noun (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājā) addressed as ‘mahīpāla’ in the surrounding verses

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A night-long vigil in Dvārakā: devotees before Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa’s shrine, lamps blazing, conch and cymbals, groups singing and dancing; elders blessing, a mother honored in the foreground to echo mātṛbhakti.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Dvādaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional vigil on properly observed Dvādaśī—expressed through song and dance—yields exalted spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is the contextual kṣetra; the verse highlights Viṣṇu-worship practices commonly performed in such sacred spaces.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Keeping Viṣṇu-jāgara on vedha-varjita Dvādaśī, with devotional singing and dancing.