Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । पुष्कलानि परित्यज्य कस्माद्दानान्यनेकशः । जागरं कर्तुकामोऽत्र स्वदेशादुपतिष्ठसि

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | puṣkalāni parityajya kasmāddānānyanekaśaḥ | jāgaraṃ kartukāmo'tra svadeśādupatiṣṭhasi

Translation

Les sages dirent : «Délaissant de riches dons et maintes aumônes, pourquoi viens-tu ici depuis ton propre pays, désirant plutôt accomplir la veille nocturne ?»

Word by Word

• ṛṣayaḥ: the sages
• ṛṣayaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (Speech-act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• puṣkalāni: abundant (things)
• puṣkalāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣkala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), बहुवचन; ‘many/abundant (things)’ कर्म

• parityajya: having abandoned
• parityajya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pari-tyaj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive) = having abandoned

• kasmāt: from what reason/why
• kasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• dānāni: gifts, donations
• dānāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), बहुवचन

• anekaśaḥ: many times
• anekaśaḥ: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anekaśas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थे: अनेकवारम्/अनेकप्रकारेण (many times/in many ways)

• jāgaram: a vigil
• jāgaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; अर्थे: जागरणम् (vigil)

• kartukāmaḥ: desiring to do
• kartukāmaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kartu (तुमुनन्त; √kṛ) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समास: कर्तु(तुमुन्) + काम (तत्पुरुष), विशेषण (त्वम्)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थे: अत्र (here)

• svadeśāt: from (your) own country
• svadeśāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva + deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचन; समास: स्व + देश (कर्मधारय)

• upatiṣṭhasi: you come/approach
• upatiṣṭhasi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-sthā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Ṛṣis (sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages question the king about abandoning lavish gifts in favor of an all-night vigil at the shrine; the scene hints at nighttime lamps, wakeful devotion, and the austerity of staying awake.

Characters & Entities

• Dāna (charity)
• Jāgara (vigil)
• King (by context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse contrasts external charity with an inner vow (jāgaraṇa), highlighting that pilgrimage-vrata can be chosen for deeper devotional intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Nāgarakhaṇḍa Śaiva tīrtha where jāgaraṇa is performed before a liṅga; the exact site-name is not provided in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Jāgaraṇa (night vigil) is explicitly mentioned; dāna (charitable giving) is referenced as an alternative/contrast.