Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

युवतीनादमाकर्ण्य यथा निद्रा न जायते । जागरे चैवमेव स्यात्तत्कथानां च कीर्तने

Transliteration

yuvatīnādamākarṇya yathā nidrā na jāyate | jāgare caivameva syāttatkathānāṃ ca kīrtane

Translation

Wie beim Hören der Stimmen junger Frauen der Schlaf nicht aufkommt—so wird auch während der heiligen Nachtwache der Schlaf durch das Singen und Wiedererzählen Seiner heiligen Erzählungen vertrieben.

Word by Word

• yuvatī-nādam: the sound/cry of young women
• yuvatī-nādam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuvatī (प्रातिपदिक) + nāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘yuvatīnāṃ nādaḥ’), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रयोगे द्वितीया (Acc./2nd), एकवचन; अत्र ‘nādam’ (Acc. sg.)

• ākarṇya: having heard
• ākarṇya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√karṇ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Absolutive/Gerund), ‘having heard’

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Upamā/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (just as)

• nidrā: sleep
• nidrā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nidrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom./1st), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• jāyate: arises; is produced
• jāyate: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• jāgare: in the vigil; during wakefulness
• jāgare: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Loc./7th), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (thus/in this manner)

• eva: indeed; just
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphasis/only)

• syāt: would be; should be
• syāt: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• tat-kathānām: of his stories (i.e., of Viṣṇu)
• tat-kathānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘tasya kathāḥ’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Gen./6th), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• kīrtane: in the chanting/praising
• kīrtane: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kīrtana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Loc./7th), एकवचन

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nareśvara (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A night vigil circle: singers and storytellers animate the crowd; lamps flicker; devotees’ eyes wide and joyful; the simile can be shown as a split-scene—worldly voices causing wakefulness contrasted with sacred kathā causing wakefulness.

Characters & Entities

• Hari-kathā
• Kīrtana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hari-kathā and kīrtana are practical means to sustain wakefulness and deepen devotion during the vigil.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, as the broader setting of the Dvārakā Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kīrtana and narration of the Lord’s stories (tatkathā) as the recommended practice during jāgaraṇa.