Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

सावित्र्याख्यानकं चापि वाचयीत द्विजोत्तमान् । यावत्प्रभातसमयं गीतभावरसैः सह

Transliteration

sāvitryākhyānakaṃ cāpi vācayīta dvijottamān | yāvatprabhātasamayaṃ gītabhāvarasaiḥ saha

Translation

Man lasse auch erlesene Brāhmaṇas die heilige Erzählung von Sāvitrī bis zur Zeit der Morgenröte vortragen, zusammen mit Gesängen voller Bhakti und ästhetischer Wonne.

Word by Word

• सावित्र्याख्यानकम्: the tale of Sāvitrī
• सावित्र्याख्यानकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सावित्री + आख्यानक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular); समासः—सावित्र्याः आख्यानकम् (story of Sāvitrī)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: also/even)

• वाचयीत: should have (it) recited
• वाचयीत: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: should cause to be recited/read)

• द्विजोत्तमान्: the best Brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजोत्तमान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural); कर्मधारयः—उत्तमाः द्विजाः (best of the twice-born)

• यावत्: until
• यावत्: Kāla-avadhi (Time limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधिवाचक (until/as long as)

• प्रभातसमयम्: the time of dawn
• प्रभातसमयम्: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभात + समय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular); समासः—प्रभातस्य समयः (time of dawn)

• गीतभावरसैः: with the sentiments and rasas of song
• गीतभावरसैः: Sahakārī / Karaṇa (Accompaniment/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत + भाव + रस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural); समासः—गीते भावाः रसाश्च (emotive flavors of song)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahārtha (Association)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (with)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pre-dawn assembly: learned brāhmaṇas seated on a raised platform reciting the Sāvitrī-ākhyāna; devotees sit with folded hands, lamps dimming as the first light appears; singers accompany with soft devotional melodies.

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī
• Brāhmaṇas (dvijottama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred storytelling (kathā) sustains faith through the night—remembrance and instruction together become worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the Sāvitrī narrative is to be recited as part of the vigil.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation of the Sāvitrī-ākhyāna by learned brāhmaṇas, accompanied by devotional singing until dawn.