Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

यत्फलं मुनिभिः प्रोक्तं वेदव्यासेन पुत्रक । तत्फलं जागरे विष्णोः पक्षयोः शुक्लकृष्णयोः

Transliteration

yatphalaṃ munibhiḥ proktaṃ vedavyāsena putraka | tatphalaṃ jāgare viṣṇoḥ pakṣayoḥ śuklakṛṣṇayoḥ

Translation

O liebes Kind, welchen geistigen Lohn die Weisen und Vedavyāsa auch verkündet haben—genau derselbe Lohn wird erlangt, wenn man für Herrn Viṣṇu die Nachtwache (jāgara) hält, sei es in der hellen oder in der dunklen Monatshälfte.

Word by Word

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relational/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-विशेषणम् (relative: 'which')

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• मुनिभिः: by sages
• मुनिभिः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• प्रोक्तम्: declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) + प्रोक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थ (said/declared)

• वेदव्यासेन: by Vedavyāsa
• वेदव्यासेन: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; समासः—वेद + व्यास (कर्मधारय: 'Veda-arranger' = Vedavyāsa)

• पुत्रक: O dear son
• पुत्रक: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; स्नेहवाचक (dear son)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Relational/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; निर्देश-विशेषणम् (demonstrative: 'that')

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• जागरे: in the vigil (jāgara)
• जागरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; अर्थः 'vigil/keeping awake (rite)'

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• पक्षयोः: in the two fortnights
• पक्षयोः: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Gen/Loc), द्विवचन; यहाँ सप्तमी-अर्थे (in the two fortnights)

• शुक्ल-कृष्णयोः: (namely) the bright and dark (fortnights)
• शुक्ल-कृष्णयोः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल + कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Gen/Loc), द्विवचन; समासः—शुक्ल + कृष्ण (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व: 'bright and dark')

Speaker

Unspecified (contextually a narrator/teacher within Dvārakā Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: pūtraka (dear child)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher addresses a ‘child’ (pūtraka) and declares that the sages’ and Vyāsa’s promised reward is attained by keeping vigil for Viṣṇu in either fortnight; night setting with lamps and devotional singing implied.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Vedavyāsa
• Munis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Keeping a devotional night vigil for Viṣṇu is equated with the highest merits praised by the sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Dvārakā Māhātmya, celebrating Dvārakā and Vaiṣṇava observances connected with it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Viṣṇu-jāgara—staying awake in devotional vigil—applicable in both śukla and kṛṣṇa pakṣa.