Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

सूर्यवारे विशेषेण निराहारो यतेन्द्रियः । करोमि जागरं रात्रौ गीतवादित्रनिःस्वनैः

Transliteration

sūryavāre viśeṣeṇa nirāhāro yatendriyaḥ | karomi jāgaraṃ rātrau gītavāditraniḥsvanaiḥ

Translation

Besonders am Sonntag faste ich, zügle die Sinne und halte die Nacht hindurch Wache, begleitet vom widerhallenden Klang von Hymnen und Musikinstrumenten.

Word by Word

• सूर्यवारे: on Sunday
• सूर्यवारे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य + वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सूर्यस्य वारः), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; 'on Sunday'

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनस्य अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः — 'especially'

• निराहारः: fasting/without food
• निराहारः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (आहारः नास्ति यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषणम्

• यतेन्द्रियः: with senses restrained
• यतेन्द्रियः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यत + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (यतानि इन्द्रियाणि यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषणम्

• करोमि: I perform
• करोमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; 'I do/perform'

• जागरम्: a night vigil
• जागरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; 'a vigil/wakefulness'

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; 'at night'

• गीतवादित्रनिःस्वनैः: with the sounds of singing and instruments
• गीतवादित्रनिःस्वनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत + वादित्र + निःस्वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (गीतस्य वादित्रस्य च निःस्वनैः/ध्वनिभिः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; 'with sounds of songs and instruments'

Speaker

Devotee/narrated first-person voice (speaker not explicitly named in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Muṇḍīrasvāmin kṣetra (Sunday observance)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A temple night vigil on Sunday: the devotee, fasting and composed, stays awake as singers chant and instruments resonate; lamps flicker through the night around the sanctum.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion becomes powerful when joined to vrata—fasting, self-restraint, and wakeful praise—especially on the deity’s sacred weekday.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The practice is performed in the deity’s sacred vicinity described in this Tīrthamāhātmya passage, emphasizing worship at the holy place rather than at home alone.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sunday observance: fasting (nirāhāra), sense-restraint (yatendriya), and night vigil (jāgaraṇa) with devotional singing and instruments.