Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

रात्रौ जागरणं कृत्वा गन्धधूपनिवेदनैः । प्रभाते विमले स्नात्वा श्राद्धं कृत्वा यथाविधि

Transliteration

rātrau jāgaraṇaṃ kṛtvā gandhadhūpanivedanaiḥ | prabhāte vimale snātvā śrāddhaṃ kṛtvā yathāvidhi

Translation

Nachdem man die Nacht in wachsamer Andacht verbracht und duftende Essenzen, Räucherwerk und Opfergaben dargebracht hat, soll man bei Tagesanbruch — nach dem Bad in reinem Wasser — das Śrāddha nach Vorschrift vollziehen.

Word by Word

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Time-location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• गन्धधूपनिवेदनैः: with perfumes, incense, and offerings
• गन्धधूपनिवेदनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध-धूप-निवेदन (प्रातिपदिक; गन्ध + धूप + निवेदन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रभाते: in the morning
• प्रभाते: Adhikarana (Time-location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• विमले: pure, clear
• विमले: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण of ‘प्रभाते’ (or locative setting)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite (ancestral offering)
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव

• यथाविधि: according to the prescribed procedure
• यथाविधि: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा-विधि (अव्यय; यथा + विधि)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘according to rule’

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual, within Revā Khaṇḍa dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāga-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night vigil by the river with lamps and incense; offerings of gandha and dhūpa; at dawn pilgrims bathe in clear water and perform śrāddha rites on the bank.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through disciplined worship—vigil, offerings, purificatory bathing, and śrāddha—makes a tīrtha-visit spiritually complete.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues a Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha context; the specific tīrtha is implied by the surrounding passage rather than named within this single line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Night vigil (jāgaraṇa), offering fragrance and incense, dawn bathing (snāna), and performing śrāddha according to scriptural procedure (yathāvidhi).