Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

चौर्यभावेन देवस्य पूजनं जागरस्तथा । उपवासं विना तेन शिवरात्रौ पुरा कृतम्

Transliteration

cauryabhāvena devasya pūjanaṃ jāgarastathā | upavāsaṃ vinā tena śivarātrau purā kṛtam

Translation

Autrefois, lors de Śivarātri, il accomplit le culte du Seigneur et observa aussi la veille—mais il le fit avec l’intention d’un voleur, et sans jeûner.

Word by Word

• चौर्यभावेन: with a thievish intent
• चौर्यभावेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चौर्य + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (चौर्यस्य भावः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; हेतौ/प्रकारे (instrumental of manner)

• देवस्य: of the god
• देवस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• पूजनम्: worship
• पूजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र विषय/कर्मरूपेण

• जागरः: wakefulness (night vigil)
• जागरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'जागरः (जागरणम्)'—जागरणरूपः कर्म/विषयः

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/likewise)

• उपवासम्: fasting
• उपवासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अपवर्जनार्थक-अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable governing accusative)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक-तृतीया (agent in passive)

• शिवरात्रौ: on Śivarātri
• शिवरात्रौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवरात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; कालाधिकरणे (locative of time)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (formerly/once)

• कृतम्: was done
• कृतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे (passive sense): 'was done'

Speaker

Narrator (context indicates Bhartṛyajña continuing the account to the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night of Śivarātri: a man performs liṅga-pūjā and stays awake, but his face shows furtive greed; nearby, symbols of theft (stolen goods, shadowy posture) contrast with the sanctity of lamps and bilva leaves.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śivarātri

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even imperfect practice of sacred rites is recorded in karmic narrative, but Purāṇic dharma still highlights right intention and proper observance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is on the Śivarātri observance itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śivarātri worship (pūjā) and night vigil (jāgaraṇa) are mentioned, along with the absence of fasting (upavāsa).