Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

यथायथा स भूपालः कुरुते रात्रिजागरम् । महाकालाग्रतस्तस्य तथा वृद्धिः प्रजायते

Transliteration

yathāyathā sa bhūpālaḥ kurute rātrijāgaram | mahākālāgratastasya tathā vṛddhiḥ prajāyate

Translation

En la medida en que aquel rey vela durante la noche, así, en esa misma medida, crece su prosperidad, pues se hace ante Mahākāla.

Word by Word

• yathā: as
• yathā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: यथार्थ/प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (correlative adverb: 'as/according as')

• yathā: as (repeated)
• yathā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्त-अव्ययम् (repeated for emphasis: 'more and more as')

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; pronoun)

• bhūpālaḥ: the king
• bhūpālaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū-pāla (प्रातिपदिक; भू + पाल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; 'protector of the earth')

• kurute: does/performs
• kurute: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम् (3rd person singular)

• rātri-jāgaram: night vigil
• rātri-jāgaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rātri (प्रातिपदिक) + jāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (night-vigil) (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• mahākāla-agrataḥ: before Mahākāla
• mahākāla-agrataḥ: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mahākāla (प्रातिपदिक) + agratas (अव्यय)
• Form: ‘अग्रतः’ देशवाचक-अव्ययम्; महाकालस्य (षष्ठी) सम्बन्धेन (in front of Mahākāla)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Genitive, Singular; pronoun)

• tathā: so
• tathā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध/तुल्यतावाचक-अव्ययम् (correlative: 'so/accordingly')

• vṛddhiḥ: increase/prosperity
• vṛddhiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• prajāyate: arises/is produced
• prajāyate: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√jan (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम् (3rd person singular)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Māhātmya (likely a Purāṇic narrator addressing a listener; exact speaker not stated in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla-agratā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king remains awake through the night in the temple forecourt; as the vigil continues, symbolic signs of prosperity—full granaries, flourishing banners, calm subjects—are shown as emanations of Mahākāla’s grace.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional discipline (night-vigil) performed directly before Mahākāla yields proportional spiritual and worldly increase.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahākāla’s sacred presence—implying a Mahākāla shrine/seat as a powerful tīrtha within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s pilgrimage context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Rātrijāgara—staying awake in devotional observance through the night in front of Mahākāla.