Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

तत्र नागवती वेश्या शिवरात्रिपरायणा । केदारे परया भक्त्या करोति निशि जागरम्

Transliteration

tatra nāgavatī veśyā śivarātriparāyaṇā | kedāre parayā bhaktyā karoti niśi jāgaram

Translation

Là, une courtisane nommée Nāgavatī, vouée à l’observance de Śivarātri, accomplissait à Kedāra la veille nocturne avec une dévotion suprême.

Word by Word

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (there)

• nāgavatī: Nāgavatī
• nāgavatī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāgavatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम (proper noun)

• veśyā: courtesan
• veśyā: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veśyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• śivarātri-parāyaṇā: devoted to Śivarātri
• śivarātri-parāyaṇā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śivarātri (प्रातिपदिक) + parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शिवरात्रौ परायणः/परायणा = devoted to Śivarātri)

• kedāre: in Kedāra
• kedāre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kedāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थाननाम (in Kedāra)

• parayā: with great
• parayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (supreme/great)

• bhaktyā: devotion
• bhaktyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• karoti: does/performs
• karoti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• niśi: at night
• niśi: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• jāgaram: vigil
• jāgaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘जागर’ = जागरणम् (vigil)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator, likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nareśvara (king) addressed in v.34

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside the Kedāra Śiva temple at night, Nāgavatī the courtesan stands or sits in focused devotion, lamps flickering, eyes fixed on the liṅga, sustaining the vigil with unwavering faith.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgavatī
• Kedāra
• Śivarātri

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti transcends social labels; sincere Śivarātri observance at a sacred site brings spiritual uplift.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra, presented as a Śaiva sacred locus where night-vigil is performed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śivarātri night-vigil (jāgaraṇa) performed with devotion.