Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

ध्यातुमिच्छति षड्वक्त्रं यो मां भक्तिपरायणः । स करोतु महाभक्त्या द्वादश्यां जागरं हरेः

Transliteration

dhyātumicchati ṣaḍvaktraṃ yo māṃ bhaktiparāyaṇaḥ | sa karotu mahābhaktyā dvādaśyāṃ jāgaraṃ hareḥ

Translation

Quiconque, voué à la bhakti, désire méditer sur moi, le Six-Visages—que ce dévot, avec une grande dévotion, observe la veille pour Hari au jour de Dvādaśī.

Word by Word

• ध्यातुम्: to meditate
• ध्यातुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (Infinitive), धातु: ध्यै (to meditate), अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; क्रियार्थे (purpose)

• इच्छति: desires
• इच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• षड्वक्त्रम्: the six-faced one
• षड्वक्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् (प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षट्-वक्त्र = ‘six-faced’ (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-समासार्थे प्रयोगः)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भक्तिपरायणः: devoted to bhakti
• भक्तिपरायणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भक्ति-परायण = ‘devotion-oriented/wholly devoted’ (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निर्देश (demonstrative pronoun)

• करोतु: let him do
• करोतु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• महाभक्त्या: with great devotion
• महाभक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; महा-भक्ति = ‘great devotion’ (कर्मधारय)

• द्वादश्याम्: on the Dvādaśī (12th lunar day)
• द्वादश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक

• जागरम्: vigil (wakefulness)
• जागरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘जागरण’ अर्थे

• हरेः: of Hari
• हरेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (self-reference as ṣaḍvaktra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda’s devotees (bhakti-parāyaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda, six-faced and radiant, addresses devotees, instructing them to keep Hari’s Dvādaśī vigil; in the background, a shrine of Hari glows through the night, symbolizing unity of worship.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda (Ṣaḍvaktra)
• Hari
• Dvādaśī
• Jāgara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion harmonizes sectarian aims: one who seeks Skanda’s grace is directed to Hari’s Dvādaśī night-vigil as a supreme bhakti-practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is the setting, as this instruction occurs in the Dvārakā Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Keep Hari’s jāgara on Dvādaśī with mahā-bhakti.