Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

माघे कृष्णचतुर्द्दश्यां जागृयात्तत्र वै निशि । सर्वेषां दानयज्ञानां फलं जागरणाल्लभेत्

Transliteration

māghe kṛṣṇacaturddaśyāṃ jāgṛyāttatra vai niśi | sarveṣāṃ dānayajñānāṃ phalaṃ jāgaraṇāllabhet

Translation

Am dunklen vierzehnten Tag des Monats Māgha soll man dort die ganze Nacht wachen; durch diese Nachtwache erlangt man die Frucht aller Gaben und Opfer.

Word by Word

• māghe: in (the month of) Māgha
• māghe: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māgha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; मासवाचक

• kṛṣṇacaturdaśyām: on the dark (waning) fourteenth lunar day
• kṛṣṇacaturdaśyām: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa + caturdaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (कृष्णा चतुर्दशी)

• jāgṛyāt: should keep vigil
• jāgṛyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jāgṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आज्ञार्थ/विध्यर्थ

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• vai: indeed
• vai: Nipata (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/assurance particle)

• niśi: at night
• niśi: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• sarveṣām: of all
• sarveṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (dānayajñānām इति)

• dānayajñānām: of gifts and sacrifices
• dānayajñānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna + yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (दानानि च यज्ञाः च)

• phalam: fruit, result
• phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; अत्र द्वितीया (labhet इति सह)

• jāgaraṇāt: from (the act of) keeping vigil
• jāgaraṇāt: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāgaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (cause)

• labhet: would obtain
• labhet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī/Pārvatī (implied by vocative patterns in adjacent verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims in Prabhāsa keep an all-night vigil on Māgha kṛṣṇa caturdaśī—lamps burning, devotees chanting before a Śiva-liṅga near the sea/temple precinct, with offerings arranged and a calm nocturnal sky.

Characters & Entities

• Pratyūṣeśvara
• Māgha
• Kṛṣṇa Caturdaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity performed at the right time and sacred place multiplies merit, equating simple vigil with vast ritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, in the context of Pratyūṣeśvara worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observe jāgaraṇa (all-night vigil) at the site on Māgha kṛṣṇa caturdaśī.