Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

रात्रौ जागरणं कृत्वा पठेत्पौराणिकीं कथाम् । ततः प्रभाते विमले स्नानं कुर्याद्यथाविधि

Transliteration

rātrau jāgaraṇaṃ kṛtvā paṭhetpaurāṇikīṃ kathām | tataḥ prabhāte vimale snānaṃ kuryādyathāvidhi

Translation

Nachdem man die Nacht hindurch gewacht hat, soll man eine heilige Erzählung aus den Purāṇas vortragen. Dann, im makellosen Morgengrauen, vollziehe man das vorgeschriebene Bad nach der Ordnung.

Word by Word

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

• जागरणम्: keeping vigil
• जागरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund)

• पठेत्: should recite/read
• पठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पौराणिकीम्: purāṇic
• पौराणिकीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पौराणिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कथाम्)

• कथाम्: story/discourse
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तर (then/thereafter)

• प्रभाते: in the morning
• प्रभाते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• विमले: pure/clear
• विमले: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (प्रभाते)

• स्नानम्: bath
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यथाविधि: according to rule
• यथाविधि: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced from Revā Khaṇḍa narrative continuity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddheśvara (implied)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The king/Bhārata addressee

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night on the riverbank: pilgrims sit around oil lamps listening to a storyteller recite Purāṇic kathā; stars above, the Narmadā glimmers. At dawn, the same group descends the ghat into misty, ‘vimala’ waters for a rule-bound bath.

Characters & Entities

• Jāgaraṇa (night vigil)
• Purāṇic kathā
• Snāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage merit is intensified by disciplined observance—vigil, sacred listening/recitation, and a rule-bound dawn bath.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing context is a Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha in the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Night-long jāgaraṇa, recitation of Purāṇic kathā, and a yathāvidhi (scripturally prescribed) bath at dawn.