Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मचर्येण जागर्त्ति स पापैः संप्रमुच्यते । होमजाप्यसमाधिस्थो नृत्यगीतादिवादनैः

Transliteration

brahmacaryeṇa jāgartti sa pāpaiḥ saṃpramucyate | homajāpyasamādhistho nṛtyagītādivādanaiḥ

Translation

Wer Brahmacarya wahrt und in der Nacht wacht, wird gänzlich von Sünden befreit. In Homa, Japa und meditativer Versenkung verweilend—und auch durch Tanz, Gesang und Instrumentalmusik, die in Hingabe dargebracht werden—erlangt er die reinigende Frucht.

Word by Word

• brahmacaryeṇa: by celibacy/continence
• brahmacaryeṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmacarya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (brahman + carya) — instrumental singular

• jāgartti: keeps vigil, stays awake
• jāgartti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jāgar (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद — present indicative, 3rd sg

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — nominative singular

• pāpaiḥ: from sins
• pāpaiḥ: Apādāna (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• saṃpramucyate: is completely freed
• saṃpramucyate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √muc (धातु) + sam-pra (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग — present passive, 3rd sg

• homa: homa
• homa: Upapada (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: homa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासपूर्वपद — ‘oblation/ritual offering’

• jāpya: japa/recitation
• jāpya: Upapada (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāpya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासपूर्वपद — ‘muttering/recitation (japa)’

• samādhi: samādhi
• samādhi: Upapada (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samādhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासपूर्वपद — ‘meditative absorption’

• sthaḥ: being engaged in
• sthaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (धातु) + stha (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्तिन्/प्रत्ययान्त ‘stha’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘homa-jāpya-samādhi-sthaḥ’ इति तत्पुरुषसमासः — ‘being engaged in’

• nṛtya: dance
• nṛtya: Upapada (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛtya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासपूर्वपद — ‘dance’

• gīta: song
• gīta: Upapada (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gīta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासपूर्वपद — ‘song’

• ādi: and the like
• ādi: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ādi (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘etc.’ अर्थे — indicates inclusion of similar items

• vādanaiḥ: by instrumental music/playing
• vādanaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vādana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — instrumental plural

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Prabhāsa Māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ikṣvākvīśvara (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Śiva night festival: devotees keep vigil with lamps; some sit in meditation near a homa fire; others sing and play vīṇā/mṛdaṅga while dancers perform as offering before the liṅga; all under a vow of brahmacarya.

Characters & Entities

• Ikṣvākvīśvara/Vṛṣabheśa Liṅga (context)
• Brahmacarya
• Homa
• Japa
• Samādhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity of conduct (brahmacarya) combined with devotional vigil and worship-practices is depicted as a powerful means of purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Liṅga-sanctuary within Prabhāsakṣetra, where vigil, worship, and devotional arts are performed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Jāgaraṇa (night vigil) with brahmacarya, along with homa, japa, samādhi, and devotional dance/song/instrumental worship.