Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

देवमारोपयित्वा तु रथे कुर्यात्प्रजागरम् । नानाविधैः प्रेक्षणकैर्ब्रह्मशेषैश्च पुष्कलैः

Transliteration

devamāropayitvā tu rathe kuryātprajāgaram | nānāvidhaiḥ prekṣaṇakairbrahmaśeṣaiśca puṣkalaiḥ

Translation

Dann, nachdem man die Gottheit auf den Wagen erhoben hat, halte man eine nächtliche Wache (prajāgara), mit vielerlei heiligen Darbietungen und reichlichen Gaben von «brahma-śeṣa», der von Brāhmaṇas geweihten Speise.

Word by Word

• देवम्: the deity
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आरोपयित्वा: having placed (him)
• आरोपयित्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह् (धातु; √रुह् causative ‘आरोपय’)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — having placed/mounted

• तु: then
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अनन्तरार्थक-निपात (particle: ‘then/indeed/but’)

• रथे: on the chariot
• रथे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु; √कृ)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Optative, 3rd person, Singular

• प्रजागरम्: night vigil (wakefulness rite)
• प्रजागरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• नाना: various
• नाना: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; बहुविधत्ववाचक (adverbial ‘variously/many’)

• विधैः: of various kinds
• विधैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना-विध (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Instrumental, Plural; कर्मधारय (नाना च ते विधाः)

• प्रेक्षणकैः: with spectacles/performances
• प्रेक्षणकैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेक्षणक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• ब्रह्मशेषैः: with brahma-remnants (sacred leftovers)
• ब्रह्मशेषैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म-शेष (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः शेषाः = remnants of Brahminical offerings/food)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• पुष्कलैः: abundant; plentiful
• पुष्कलैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्कल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Instrumental, Plural; विशेषण (abundant)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī/Umā in typical Skanda framing)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night festival: the deity enthroned on a decorated chariot; lamps and torches; devotees awake through the night; performers enact sacred spectacles; heaps of sanctified offerings are arranged and distributed.

Characters & Entities

• Ratha
• Prajāgara (night vigil)
• Brāhmaṇa (implied by brahma-śeṣa)
• Prabhāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustained devotion—staying awake in vigil with sacred acts—intensifies bhakti and communal merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, through the night-time observances connected to the deity’s chariot festival.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mounting the deity on the chariot, performing prajāgara (all-night vigil), arranging sacred performances, and distributing abundant sanctified offerings (brahma-śeṣa).