Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

घृतेन बोधयेद्दीपमथवा तैलपूरितम् । रात्रौ जागरणं कृत्वा दैवस्याग्रे विमत्सराः

Transliteration

ghṛtena bodhayeddīpamathavā tailapūritam | rātrau jāgaraṇaṃ kṛtvā daivasyāgre vimatsarāḥ

Translation

Qu’on allume une lampe avec du ghee, ou bien une lampe remplie d’huile; et qu’on veille toute la nuit devant la Divinité, sans envie.

Word by Word

• घृतेन: with ghee
• घृतेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), तृतीया (Instr./3rd), एकवचन (sg.)

• बोधयेत्: should light/awaken
• बोधयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बुध् (धातु) + णिच् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg.); णिजन्त (causative)

• दीपम्: lamp
• दीपम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (Acc./2nd), एकवचन (sg.)

• अथवा: or
• अथवा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पबोधक अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• तैलपूरितम्: filled with oil
• तैलपूरितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तैल (प्रातिपदिक) + पूरित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (Acc./2nd), एकवचन (sg.); तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (filled with oil)

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (sg.)

• जागरणम्: wakefulness/vigil
• जागरणम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (Acc./2nd), एकवचन (sg.)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• दैवस्य: of the deity
• दैवस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (sg.)

• अग्रे: in front (of)
• अग्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), सप्तमी (Loc./7th), एकवचन (sg.)

• विमत्सराः: free from envy
• विमत्सराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि- (उपसर्ग) + मत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom./1st), बहुवचन (pl.); नञर्थक-वि (free from)

Speaker

Unspecified (Revākhaṇḍa narrative voice; likely a Purāṇic teacher addressing a listener such as a king or sage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra Vaiṣṇava shrine (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night in the temple courtyard; rows of lamps burn steadily; devotees sit awake in bhajan/recitation before the deity, the sanctum glowing with ghee-light.

Characters & Entities

• Daiva (the Deity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through simple, sincere ritual—lighting a lamp and keeping vigil—should be done with a pure mind free from envy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is the Revākhaṇḍa (Narmadā/Revā sacred geography) within the Avantīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dīpa-dāna (lighting a ghee/oil lamp) and jāgaraṇa (night-long vigil) before the Deity.