Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

शास्त्रं भागवतं तथा च दयितं रामायणं द्वारका पुण्यं मालतिसम्भवं सुदयितं गीतं कृतं जागरम्

Transliteration

śāstraṃ bhāgavataṃ tathā ca dayitaṃ rāmāyaṇaṃ dvārakā puṇyaṃ mālatisambhavaṃ sudayitaṃ gītaṃ kṛtaṃ jāgaram

Translation

Beloved is the Bhāgavata scripture, and beloved too the Rāmāyaṇa; holy is Dvārakā. Most beloved are devotional song and the keeping of vigil (jāgara); and cherished as well is that which is born of Mālatī—the fragrant offering.

Word by Word

• śāstram: scripture; treatise
• śāstram: Karta/Item listed (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāstra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• bhāgavatam: Bhāgavata (pertaining to the Lord)
• bhāgavatam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāgavata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (Bhāgavata-related)

• tathā: also; likewise
• tathā: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: तथार्थक अव्यय (also/likewise)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• dayitam: dear; beloved
• dayitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dayita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (dear)

• rāmāyaṇam: the Rāmāyaṇa
• rāmāyaṇam: Karta/Item listed (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāmāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• dvārakā: Dvārakā
• dvārakā: Karta/Item listed (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvārakā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• puṇyam: holy; meritorious
• puṇyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (holy/meritorious)

• mālatisambhavam: born of Mālatī; arising from mālatī
• mālatisambhavam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mālatī + sambhava (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (mālatyāḥ sambhavam)

• sudayitam: very dear
• sudayitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + dayita (प्रातिपदिक; उपसर्ग/प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (very dear)

• gītam: song; chant
• gītam: Karta/Item listed (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gīta (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (song; that which is sung)

• kṛtam: made; performed
• kṛtam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (made/done)

• jāgaram: vigil; night-wake
• jāgaram: Karta/Item listed (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A night-time temple courtyard in Dvārakā: devotees singing with cymbals and drum, oil lamps glowing, a reader holding a palm-leaf manuscript of Bhāgavata/Rāmāyaṇa; garlands of mālatī offered at the shrine; the sea breeze moves the lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Bhāgavata (Bhāgavata Purāṇa)
• Rāmāyaṇa
• Dvārakā
• Jāgara (night vigil)
• Mālatī (jasmine)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural listening/reading and bhakti practices—especially kīrtana and night-vigil—are held as dearly pleasing and merit-giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is directly proclaimed as puṇya (sanctifying and merit-bestowing).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing gīta (devotional singing) and jāgara (religious vigil) is praised as especially beloved devotional observance.