Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

यः पुनः पठते रात्रौ गीतां नामसहस्रकम् । द्वादश्यां पुरतो विष्णोर्वेष्णवानां समीपतः

Transliteration

yaḥ punaḥ paṭhate rātrau gītāṃ nāmasahasrakam | dvādaśyāṃ purato viṣṇorveṣṇavānāṃ samīpataḥ

Translation

Moreover, whoever at night recites the Gītā and the Sahasranāma (the Thousand Names) on Dvādaśī—before Viṣṇu and in the presence of Vaiṣṇavas—(wins extraordinary merit).

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• punaḥ: again, further
• punaḥ: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable) पुनरर्थ (again/further)

• paṭhate: recites, reads
• paṭhate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paṭh (पठ् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• rātrau: at night
• rātrau: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rātri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• gītām: the Gītā
• gītām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gītā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• nāmasahasrakam: a thousand names (lit. name-thousand)
• nāmasahasrakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāma + sahasraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• dvādaśyām: on Dvādaśī
• dvādaśyām: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvādaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• purataḥ: in front of
• purataḥ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable) देशार्थ (in front of)

• viṣṇoḥ: of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇoḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• vaiṣṇavānām: of the Vaiṣṇavas
• vaiṣṇavānām: Sambandha (Association/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiṣṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• samīpataḥ: near, in the vicinity
• samīpataḥ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samīpataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable) देशार्थ (near/by)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced from discourse continuity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Dvādaśī night assembly: Viṣṇu’s image in front, lamps and incense; devotees seated, one recites the Gītā, another chants the thousand names; elders (Vaiṣṇavas) listen and respond.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Vaiṣṇava
• Gītā
• Sahasranāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural recitation joined with congregational devotion (before the deity and among devotees) amplifies spiritual benefit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, where night recitation before Viṣṇu is recommended as a sacred practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Night recitation on Dvādaśī of the Gītā and a nāma-sahasra (thousand names) in front of Viṣṇu and near Vaiṣṇavas.