Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

एकदा माधवे मासि तृतीयायामुपोषिताः । रात्रौ जागरणं कृत्वा नृत्यगीतकथादिभिः

Transliteration

ekadā mādhave māsi tṛtīyāyāmupoṣitāḥ | rātrau jāgaraṇaṃ kṛtvā nṛtyagītakathādibhiḥ

Translation

Einst, im Monat Mādhava (Vaiśākha), hielten sie am dritten Tithi Fasten; und in der Nacht hielten sie Wache, indem sie die Stunden mit Tanz, Gesang und heiligen Erzählungen erfüllten.

Word by Word

• एकदा: once
• एकदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकदा (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: 'once')

• माधवे: in the month Mādhava (Vaiśākha)
• माधवे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time locus अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; मास-विशेषणरूपेण (locative: 'in Mādhava')

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikaraṇa (Time locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• तृतीयायाम्: on the third (tithi)
• तृतीयायाम्: Adhikaraṇa (Time locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृतीया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक (on the third lunar day)

• उपोषिताः: (they) having fasted / fasted
• उपोषिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√वस् (धातु) → उपोषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थे ‘having fasted/fasted’

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikaraṇa (Time locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• जागरणम्: wakefulness, vigil
• जागरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेष्य (object of kṛtvā)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriyā (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): ‘having done’

• नृत्य: dance
• नृत्य: Instrumental-associate (means, within -ādibhiḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासाङ्ग/पूर्वपद)

• गीत: song
• गीत: Instrumental-associate (means, within -ādibhiḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासाङ्ग/पूर्वपद)

• कथा: story, narration
• कथा: Instrumental-associate (means, within -ādibhiḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासाङ्ग/पूर्वपद)

• आदिभिः: with etc. (and the like)
• आदिभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; ‘आदि’ = ‘etc.’, समाहारार्थे (with etc.)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī night-vigil in a decorated maṇḍapa: devotees fasting on tṛtīyā, singing and dancing to sacred narration through the night, lamps flickering, Gaṅgā breeze implied.

Characters & Entities

• Mādhava (Vaiśākha)
• Tṛtīyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is strengthened through disciplined vows—fasting and a night-long vigil dedicated to sacred arts and remembrance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where such vows are portrayed as especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (fasting) on Tṛtīyā and jāgaraṇa (night vigil) accompanied by devotional song, dance, and sacred storytelling.