Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 141

Devanagari script

हरकेशवयोः स्नान्ति जागरे यान्ति संक्षयम् । यावन्तो निमिषा नृणां भवन्ति निशि जाग्रताम्

Transliteration

harakeśavayoḥ snānti jāgare yānti saṃkṣayam | yāvanto nimiṣā nṛṇāṃ bhavanti niśi jāgratām

Translation

In der Nachtwache werden die mit Hara und Keśava verbundenen Sünden abgewaschen und gehen zugrunde. Denn so viele Augenblicke, wie Menschen nachts wach bleiben,

Word by Word

• hara-keśavayoḥ: of Hara and Keśava
• hara-keśavayoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hara (प्रातिपदिक) + keśava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Samāsa: Dvandva (इतरेतर), Dual base; Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Dual

• snānti: bathe
• snānti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्/Present), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Plural

• jāgare: in the night-vigil
• jāgare: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (usage), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; 'in the vigil'

• yānti: go/attain
• yānti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्/Present), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Plural

• saṃkṣayam: destruction/cessation
• saṃkṣayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃkṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• yāvantaḥ: as many as
• yāvantaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yāvat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; viśeṣaṇa of 'nimiṣāḥ' (by sense: 'as many as')

• nimiṣāḥ: moments (blinks)
• nimiṣāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nimiṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• nṛṇām: of men/people
• nṛṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

• bhavanti: are/become
• bhavanti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्/Present), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Plural

• niśi: at night
• niśi: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• jāgratām: of those who keep awake
• jāgratām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāgrat (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Present participle used as noun; Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

Speaker

Narrator (within Revākhaṇḍa; likely Sūta-style narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājan (king) addressed in the latter half; verse also continues the prior address context

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A long night vigil: devotees seated in rows, alternating between listening and meditation; a visual rhythm of 'moments' marked by lamp flames and bell strokes; Śiva and Viṣṇu emblems together.

Characters & Entities

• Hara (Śiva)
• Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• jāgaraṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wakeful devotion is portrayed as a purifier, and reverence to Hara and Keśava reflects an inclusive, dharmic vision.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is vrata-centric and not tied to one named location, though it belongs to the Revākhaṇḍa sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observe night-long vigil (jāgaraṇa); the teaching links each waking moment with the destruction of sins.