Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

तेनोक्तमेष देवस्य महाकालस्य जागरः । क्रियते ब्राह्मणैर्भक्त्या उपवासपरायणैः

Transliteration

tenoktameṣa devasya mahākālasya jāgaraḥ | kriyate brāhmaṇairbhaktyā upavāsaparāyaṇaiḥ

Translation

Il répondit : «C’est la veille du Seigneur Mahākāla. Les brāhmaṇas l’accomplissent avec bhakti, fermes dans le jeûne.»

Word by Word

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन

• उक्तम्: said
• उक्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक सर्वनाम

• देवस्य: of the god
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• महाकालस्य: of Mahākāla
• महाकालस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् कालः); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचन

• जागरः: vigil
• जागरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• क्रियते: is performed
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्; आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; कर्मणि (passive)

• ब्राह्मणैः: by Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचन

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन

• उपवासपरायणैः: devoted to fasting
• उपवासपरायणैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपवास + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपवासे परायणाः); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचन; विशेषण (ब्राह्मणैः)

Speaker

Deductive: Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating within Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla-jāgara at Mahākāla-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The inquiring pilgrim/narrator

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A local explains that the vigil belongs to Mahākāla and is performed by devoted brāhmaṇas observing fasting; the scene shows ascetic restraint amid temple festivity.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through disciplined observance—fasting and a night vigil—becomes a praised mode of worship for Mahākāla.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises Mahākāla worship in a tīrtha-māhātmya setting; Mahākāla is classically associated with Ujjayinī (Ujjain), though this snippet does not name the place explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing Mahākāla’s jāgara (night vigil) along with upavāsa (fasting), undertaken in bhakti (devotion).