Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

तस्माज्जागरणं कार्य्यं मातुर्जठरवर्जिभिः । भीतेर्मोक्षपरैर्मर्त्यैः सुखचेष्टाबहिष्कृतैः

Transliteration

tasmājjāgaraṇaṃ kāryyaṃ māturjaṭharavarjibhiḥ | bhītermokṣaparairmartyaiḥ sukhaceṣṭābahiṣkṛtaiḥ

Translation

Therefore, the night-vigil should be performed by mortals who long to be freed from returning to the mother’s womb, who fear saṃsāra, who are intent on mokṣa, and who have cast aside indulgence in comfort.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: from that (therefore)
• तस्मात्: अपादान (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे (contextual), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• जागरणम्: wakefulness; vigil
• जागरणम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक; √जागृ धातु-सम्भव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• कार्यम्: to be done; obligatory
• कार्यम्: विधेय (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ धातु-सम्भव, कृत्य-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विधेय-विशेषण (predicative adjective)

• मातुः: of the mother
• मातुः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• जठर-वर्जिभिः: by those who have left the womb (i.e., born beings)
• जठर-वर्जिभिः: करण (Instrument/Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जठर (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्जिन् (प्रातिपदिक; √वृज्/वर्ज् ‘to avoid’ धातु-सम्भव)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative): जठरं वर्जयन्ति इति; पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• भीतेः: from fear
• भीतेः: अपादान (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• मोक्ष-परैः: by those intent on liberation
• मोक्ष-परैः: करण (Instrument/Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: मोक्षे पराः (devoted to liberation); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मर्त्यैः: by mortals
• मर्त्यैः: कर्ता (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सुख-चेष्टा-बहिष्कृतैः: by those who have excluded pleasurable activities
• सुख-चेष्टा-बहिष्कृतैः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + चेष्टा (प्रातिपदिक) + बहिष्कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ धातु, बहिः + कृत)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: सुखचेष्टाः बहिष्कृताः येषां ते; पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

Speaker

An unnamed Purāṇic narrator within Dvārakā Māhātmya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (addressed as exhortation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A renunciant-minded pilgrim keeps vigil, rejecting comfort—no bed, minimal possessions—absorbed in Hari-nāma; imagery of saṃsāra as a dark ocean contrasted with lamp-lit wakefulness.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Jāgaraṇa is recommended as a liberation-oriented discipline tied to renunciation and freedom from rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, where Kṛṣṇa-jāgaraṇa is praised as a powerful vrata.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform jāgaraṇa with a mokṣa-intent mindset, avoiding comfort-seeking activities.