Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

वैशाखीदिवसे राजंस्त्वं सदाभ्येत्य दूरतः । वर्षेवर्षेऽस्य देवस्य पुरतो रात्रिजागरम्

Transliteration

vaiśākhīdivase rājaṃstvaṃ sadābhyetya dūrataḥ | varṣevarṣe'sya devasya purato rātrijāgaram

Translation

« Ô Roi, au jour de Vaiśākhī tu viens toujours, même de loin ; d’année en année, devant cette divinité, tu observes la veille nocturne. »

Word by Word

• vaiśākhī-divase: on the Vaiśākhī day
• vaiśākhī-divase: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiśākhīdivasa (प्रातिपदिक) = vaiśākhī + divasa
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (वैशाख्याः दिवसे)

• rājan: O king
• rājan: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषार्थे सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (always)

• abhyetya: having come/approached
• abhyetya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√i (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव; अर्थः—अभिगम्य (having approached/come)

• dūrataḥ: from afar
• dūrataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dūratas (अव्यय/तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिलन्त (ablatival adverb) अर्थः—दूरात् (from afar)

• varṣe-varṣe: year after year
• varṣe-varṣe: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोगः; सप्तमी-एकवचनयोः द्विरुक्तिः, अव्ययवत् (every year)

• asya: of this
• asya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• devasya: of the deity
• devasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• purataḥ: in front (of)
• purataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: puratas (अव्यय/तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (in front of)

• rātri-jāgaram: night vigil
• rātri-jāgaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rātrijāgara (प्रातिपदिक) = rātri + jāgara
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (रात्रौ जागरम्)

Speaker

Munīśvaras / assembled sages (addressing the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇa audience; internally, sages address the king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages address the king: on Vaiśākhī he comes from afar and keeps an all-night vigil before the deity—lamps, chanting, and a wakeful crowd in the temple courtyard.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśākhī
• Deity at the site (contextually Mahākāla)
• King

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consistency in yearly vows—especially at a holy site—deepens devotion and establishes lasting merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Mahākāla-centered shrine/tīrtha (the deity ‘here’), where the king performs yearly vigil.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Annual rātrijāgara on Vaiśākhī day, performed before the deity.