Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

न पुर्य्यः पावनाः सप्त कलौ वेदवचो नहि । यादृशं वासरं विष्णोः पावनं जागरान्वितम्

Transliteration

na puryyaḥ pāvanāḥ sapta kalau vedavaco nahi | yādṛśaṃ vāsaraṃ viṣṇoḥ pāvanaṃ jāgarānvitam

Translation

In the Kali age, the Vedic word does not proclaim that even the seven sacred cities purify as does Viṣṇu’s day, made holy by the keeping of vigil.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• पुर्यः: cities
• पुर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• पावनाः: purifying
• पावनाः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with पुर्यः)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Numeral modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (अव्यय/संख्याशब्द)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (indeclinable numeral)

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative)

• वेदवचः: Vedic statement/word
• वेदवचः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वेदस्य वचः)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle: indeed)

• यादृशम्: such as / of the kind that
• यादृशम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यादृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (correlative with vāsaram)

• वासरम्: day
• वासरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• पावनम्: purifying
• पावनम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of vāsaram)

• जागरान्वितम्: accompanied by a vigil
• जागरान्वितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त; √इ/अन्वि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषार्थे (जागरेण अन्वितम् = endowed with vigil)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Dvārakā Māhātmya (contextual Purāṇic instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇoḥ vāra/tithi with jāgaraṇa (time-tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/ṛṣis evaluating comparative tīrtha merits

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic map-like composition: the seven sacred cities shown as luminous nodes, yet a single radiant ‘Viṣṇu day with vigil’ (a sun/moon with lamp) outshines them; devotees keep vigil beneath the cosmic clock of Kali-yuga.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, accessible devotional disciplines—especially Viṣṇu’s vigil—are exalted as exceptionally purifying, even when compared with famed sacred geographies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Dvārakā’s Viṣṇu-centered observance is being magnified, alongside a broader comparison to the traditional ‘seven sacred cities’ (sapta-purī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observing Viṣṇu’s vāsara (holy day) together with jāgaraṇa (night vigil).