Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच । कृत्वा जागरणं विष्णोर्यथान्यायं नरेश्वर । पितॄन्यच्छति पुण्यं च ततः किं कुरुते यमः

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | kṛtvā jāgaraṇaṃ viṣṇoryathānyāyaṃ nareśvara | pitṝnyacchati puṇyaṃ ca tataḥ kiṃ kurute yamaḥ

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: „O Herr der Menschen! Wer die Nachtwache für Viṣṇu ordnungsgemäß vollzieht, schenkt den Ahnen Verdienst. Welche Macht könnte Yama dann noch über einen solchen Menschen ausüben?“

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• जागरणम्: vigil, wakefulness observance
• जागरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यथान्यायम्: according to rule, properly
• यथान्यायम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा + न्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial)

• नरेश्वर: O lord of men (king)
• नरेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (नराणाम् ईश्वरः)

• पितॄन्: the forefathers
• पितॄन्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यच्छति: gives, bestows
• यच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्/ततः इत्यर्थे हेत्वर्थ/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (thereupon/then; from that)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• कुरुते: does
• कुरुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• यमः: Yama (lord of death)
• यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nareśvara (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya speaks to a king; devotees keep a night-vigil before Viṣṇu with lamps, conch, cymbals; subtle presence of Yama receding, while pitṛs receive offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Viṣṇu
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Properly performed Viṣṇu night-vigil benefits one’s ancestors and places the devotee beyond Yama’s punitive reach.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discourse belongs to Dvārakā Māhātmya (Dvārakā’s sacred geography), though this verse stresses ritual fruit rather than naming a particular spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Yathā-nyāya Viṣṇu-jāgaraṇa (a properly regulated vigil), credited with generating puṇya transferable to the Pitṛs.