Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

माघे कृष्णचतुर्द्दश्यामुपवासोऽति दुर्लभः । तत्रापि दुर्लभं मन्ये रात्रौ जागरणं नृणाम्

Transliteration

māghe kṛṣṇacaturddaśyāmupavāso'ti durlabhaḥ | tatrāpi durlabhaṃ manye rātrau jāgaraṇaṃ nṛṇām

Translation

Au mois de Māgha, jeûner à la kṛṣṇa-caturdaśī est extrêmement rare ; plus rare encore, à mon sens, est que les hommes veillent toute la nuit.

Word by Word

• माघे: in (the month of) Māgha
• माघे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• कृष्णचतुर्दश्याम्: on the dark fortnight’s fourteenth day
• कृष्णचतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (कृष्णा चतुर्दशी); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• उपवासः: fasting
• उपवासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• अति: very
• अति: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय; अतिशयार्थक (very/exceedingly)

• दुर्लभः: rare/difficult to obtain
• दुर्लभः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘उपवासः’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तत्र: there/in that (case)
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/प्रसङ्गवाचक (there/in that context)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; ‘also/even’

• दुर्लभम्: rare/difficult
• दुर्लभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘जागरणम्’ इत्यस्य कर्मरूपेण/विशेषणरूपेण

• मन्ये: I think
• मन्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• जागरणम्: keeping vigil/remaining awake
• जागरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक; √जागृ (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: ल्युट्-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• नृणाम्: of men/people
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (inferred)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night-long vigil in a temple: rows of lamps, devotees chanting, fasting ascetics seated in meditation; moon of caturdaśī overhead.

Characters & Entities

• Māgha
• Kṛṣṇa-caturdaśī
• Upavāsa
• Jāgaraṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rare disciplines like fasting and night-vigil are exalted as powerful expressions of devotion and spiritual resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified; the verse focuses on a calendrical observance (vrata) in Māgha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa on Māgha kṛṣṇa-caturdaśī and rātri-jāgaraṇa (night vigil).