Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

ताभ्यां मार्गचतुर्दश्यां कृष्णायां जागरः कृतः । यः करोति नरो भक्त्या स गच्छति शिवालयम्

Transliteration

tābhyāṃ mārgacaturdaśyāṃ kṛṣṇāyāṃ jāgaraḥ kṛtaḥ | yaḥ karoti naro bhaktyā sa gacchati śivālayam

Translation

Am vierzehnten Tag der dunklen Monatshälfte im Monat Mārgaśīrṣa hielten sie eine nächtliche Vigil. Wer eine solche Nachtwache in Hingabe vollzieht, gelangt zur Wohnstatt Śivas.

Word by Word

• ताभ्याम्: by those two
• ताभ्याम्: Karana (Agent/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• मार्गचतुर्दश्याम्: on Mārgaśīrṣa fourteenth
• मार्गचतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārga+catūrdaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समास: मार्गस्य चतुर्दशी (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) = on the 14th (tithi) of Mārgaśīrṣa

• कृष्णायाम्: in the dark fortnight
• कृष्णायाम्: Adhikarana (Time qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛṣṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; पक्षविशेषण (कृष्णपक्षे)

• जागरः: a vigil (night-wake)
• जागरः: Karta (Subject of passive predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कृतः: was performed
• कृतः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), √कृ (करणे); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘was done/observed’ (passive sense)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• करोति: does, performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; यः इति विशेष्य (apposition)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/हेतौ

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; correlative pronoun

• गच्छति: goes
• गच्छति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• शिवालयम्: to Śiva’s abode/temple
• शिवालयम्: Karma (Goal/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva+ālaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समास: शिवस्य आलयः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night at a Śiva temple: lamps flicker, devotees sit awake singing; the two brāhmaṇas keep vigil on kṛṣṇa caturdaśī; above, a vision of Śivaloka or Kailāsa appears as the promised destination.

Characters & Entities

• Mārgaśīrṣa kṛṣṇa caturdaśī
• jāgara (vigil)
• Śiva
• Śivālaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional discipline on sacred lunar dates—especially a Śaiva night-vigil—leads the devotee toward Śiva’s supreme state.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Śaiva kṣetra under discussion, where the observance of jāgara is highlighted as especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observing jāgara (staying awake in worship) on Mārgaśīrṣa kṛṣṇa caturdaśī.