Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

धूपैरगुरुमुख्यैश्च रम्ये कुसुममंडपे । रात्रौ जागरणं कार्यं विनिंद्रैः परमोत्सवैः

Transliteration

dhūpairagurumukhyaiśca ramye kusumamaṃḍape | rātrau jāgaraṇaṃ kāryaṃ viniṃdraiḥ paramotsavaiḥ

Translation

Mit Räucherwerk—vor allem Aguru—in einem lieblichen Blumepavillon soll man nachts die Vigil halten, ohne Schlaf, und mit erhabensten Festlichkeiten feiern.

Word by Word

• धूपैः: with incense
• धूपैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• अगुरु-मुख्यैः: chiefly (with) aguru (aloeswood)
• अगुरु-मुख्यैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अगुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘अगुरुमुख्य’ = अगुरु-प्रधान (chiefly aloe-wood)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• रम्ये: in a lovely (place)
• रम्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• कुसुम-मण्डपे: in the flower-pavilion
• कुसुम-मण्डपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुसुम (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् कालवाचक-प्रयोग (time-locative)

• जागरणम्: keeping vigil, wakefulness
• जागरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक; √जागृ (धातु) से भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• कार्यम्: to be done, should be performed
• कार्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative)

• विनिद्रैः: by the sleepless (ones) / without sleep
• विनिद्रैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; ‘विनिद्र’ = निद्रारहित (sleepless)

• परम-उत्सवैः: with supreme festivals/celebrations
• परम-उत्सवैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A night festival in Kāśī: a fragrant aguru incense plume rises in a flower pavilion; devotees keep awake singing and circling lamps, the sanctum glowing.

Characters & Entities

• Aguru (aloeswood)
• Kusuma-maṇḍapa (flower pavilion)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wakeful devotion (jāgaraṇa) symbolizes steadfast remembrance; joy-filled worship becomes a disciplined offering of time and attention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is embedded in Kāśī’s vrata tradition as preserved in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Burn incense (especially aguru) in a flower pavilion and observe an all-night vigil with festive worship.