Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

रात्रौ जागरणं कुर्याद्देवस्याग्रे नराधिप । दधिभक्तेन सम्पूज्य ब्राह्मणाञ्छंसितव्रतान् । गोप्रदाने द्विजेन्द्रोऽयं सर्वपापक्षयंकरः

Transliteration

rātrau jāgaraṇaṃ kuryāddevasyāgre narādhipa | dadhibhaktena sampūjya brāhmaṇāñchaṃsitavratān | gopradāne dvijendro'yaṃ sarvapāpakṣayaṃkaraḥ

Translation

O König, man soll vor der Gottheit eine Nachtwache halten. Nachdem man Brahmanen mit gepriesenen Gelübden mit Speise aus Reis und Joghurt (dahi-bhakta) gebührend geehrt hat und eine Kuh verschenkt, wird dieses Gelübde zum vornehmsten Reiniger, der alle Sünden vernichtet.

Word by Word

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — feminine, locative singular

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

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — optative, 3rd person singular

• देवस्य: of the deity
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — masculine, genitive singular

• अग्रे: in front (of)
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — neuter, locative singular

• नराधिप: O king (lord of men)
• नराधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + अधिप (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नराणाम् अधिपः), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — vocative singular

• दधिभक्तेन: with curd-rice/food mixed with curd
• दधिभक्तेन: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि + भक्त (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (दध्ना सह/युक्तः भक्तः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — instrumental singular

• सम्पूज्य: having worshipped well
• सम्पूज्य: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त) — gerund ‘having duly worshipped’

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — masculine, accusative plural

• शंसितव्रतान्: of praised/commended vows
• शंसितव्रतान्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शंसित + व्रत (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: कर्मधारय (शंसितानि व्रतानि येषाम्/शंसितव्रताः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — masculine accusative plural; qualifies ब्राह्मणान्

• गोप्रदाने: in (the act of) giving cows
• गोप्रदाने: Adhikarana (Context/occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + प्रदान (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (गवां प्रदानम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — locative singular

• द्विजेन्द्रः: the best of Brahmins
• द्विजेन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (द्विजानाम् इन्द्रः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — nominative singular

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — masculine nominative singular (demonstrative pronoun)

• सर्वपापक्षयंकरः: causing the destruction of all sins
• सर्वपापक्षयंकरः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पाप + क्षय + कर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां पापानां क्षयः तं करोति), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — masculine nominative singular; predicate adjective

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkhacūḍa-tīrtha (continuation)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Narādhipa / Rājendra (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A night scene in front of the shrine: devotees keep lamps burning, chanting; Brahmins seated receive curd-rice offerings; a decorated cow is gifted with water-pot and cloth; the kingly addressee is implied by courtly attendants.

Characters & Entities

• Deity at Śaṅkhacūḍa Tīrtha
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is completed by disciplined devotion: vigil, respectful hospitality to the virtuous, and charity that purifies wrongdoing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The worship context continues at Śaṅkhacūḍa Tīrtha on the Narmadā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Night vigil (jāgaraṇa) before the deity, honoring vowed Brahmins with food (dadhi-bhakta), and go-dāna (cow donation) for removal of sins.