Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

तस्माद्गृहं प्रगन्तव्यं जागरे माधवस्य च । कलौ मलविनाशाय द्वादशद्वादशीषु च

Transliteration

tasmādgṛhaṃ pragantavyaṃ jāgare mādhavasya ca | kalau malavināśāya dvādaśadvādaśīṣu ca

Translation

Darum soll man zum Tempel des Herrn gehen, um Mādhavas Nachtwache zu halten; und im Kali-Zeitalter zur Vernichtung der Unreinheit, besonders am zwölften Tag und an Dvādaśī.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन — Ablative singular; ‘therefore/from that’

• गृहम्: home
• गृहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Accusative singular; goal/object with motion

• प्रगन्तव्यम्: should be gone to / one should go
• प्रगन्तव्यम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + गम् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘to be gone/should go’ (impersonal obligation)

• जागरे: at the vigil
• जागरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Locative singular; ‘in/at the vigil’

• माधवस्य: of Mādhava (Viṣṇu)
• माधवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Locative singular; ‘in Kali (age)’

• मलविनाशाय: for the removal of impurity
• मलविनाशाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल + विनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन), एकवचन — Dative singular; purpose ‘for destruction of impurity’

• द्वादशद्वादशीषु: on (the) Dvādaśī days (special twelfth)
• द्वादशद्वादशीषु: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादश + द्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), बहुवचन — Locative plural; ‘on the twelfth Dvādaśīs’ (i.e., special Dvādaśī observances)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king addressed as ‘mahīpāla’ (explicit in 28.39; implied continuity)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night at Dvārakā: devotees enter Mādhava’s temple with lamps; conch and bells sound; a Dvādaśī vigil unfolds with singing and recitation before the deity.

Characters & Entities

• Mādhava (Viṣṇu)
• Kali-yuga
• Dvādaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, temple-based vigilance for Mādhava is taught as a practical purifier and a strong dharmic remedy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā’s Vaiṣṇava temple culture, as presented in the Dvārakā Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go to the temple and observe Mādhava’s night-vigil, particularly connected with Dvādaśī observance.