Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

देवस्वापदिनादौ तु यावत्पवित्रद्वादशी । पवित्रद्वादशीपूर्वं यावच्छ्रवणद्वादशी

Transliteration

devasvāpadinādau tu yāvatpavitradvādaśī | pavitradvādaśīpūrvaṃ yāvacchravaṇadvādaśī

Translation

Die Zeit der Observanz wird so angegeben: vom Tag des Devasvāpa bis zur Pavitrā Dvādaśī; und (erneut) von vor der Pavitrā Dvādaśī bis zur Śravaṇa Dvādaśī.

Word by Word

• देवस्वापदिन: on the day of Deva-sleep (Devashayani)
• देवस्वापदिन: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवस्वापदिन (प्रातिपदिक; देव-स्वापदिन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवस्य स्वापदिनम्)

• आदौ: at the beginning
• आदौ: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• यावत्: up to/as far as
• यावत्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधी-निर्देशक (limit-marker)

• पवित्रद्वादशी: Pavitra Dvādaśī (the sacred 12th lunar day)
• पवित्रद्वादशी: Avadhi (Limit/अवधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पवित्रद्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक; पवित्र-द्वादशी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (पवित्रा द्वादशी)

• पवित्रद्वादशी: Pavitra Dvādaśī
• पवित्रद्वादशी: Qualifier (विशेष्य-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पवित्रद्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक; पवित्र-द्वादशी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; (पूर्वपद-निर्देशार्थं)

• पूर्वम्: before/earlier
• पूर्वम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• यावत्: up to
• यावत्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधी-निर्देशक (limit-marker)

• श्रवणद्वादशी: Śravaṇa Dvādaśī
• श्रवणद्वादशी: Avadhi (Limit/अवधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवणद्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक; श्रवण-द्वादशी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (श्रवणे/श्रवण-नक्षत्रे द्वादशी)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa māhātmya-style instruction)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priest-devotee points to a pañcāṅga (lunar almanac) showing Dvādaśī marks; nearby, a small Viṣṇu icon rests as if in yoganidrā (Devasvāpa), while devotees prepare pavitra garlands for Pavitrā Dvādaśī.

Characters & Entities

• Devasvāpa (Devaśayana)
• Pavitrā Dvādaśī
• Śravaṇa Dvādaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred vows are not only about austerity; they are also about correct timing aligned with Viṣṇu’s ritual calendar.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is calendrical (kāla-nirdeśa) and does not name a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse specifies vrata timing around Devaśayana/Devasvāpa and key Dvādaśī observances (Pavitrā Dvādaśī, Śravaṇa Dvādaśī).