Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

न पुर्य्यः पावनाः सप्त कलौ वेदवचो नहि । यादृशं वासरं विष्णोः पावनं जागरान्वितम्

Transliteration

na puryyaḥ pāvanāḥ sapta kalau vedavaco nahi | yādṛśaṃ vāsaraṃ viṣṇoḥ pāvanaṃ jāgarānvitam

Translation

À l’âge de Kali, la parole védique ne proclame pas que même les sept cités sacrées purifient ainsi ; tel est le jour de Viṣṇu, rendu pur par la veille vigilante.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• पुर्यः: cities
• पुर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• पावनाः: purifying
• पावनाः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with पुर्यः)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Numeral modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (अव्यय/संख्याशब्द)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (indeclinable numeral)

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative)

• वेदवचः: Vedic statement/word
• वेदवचः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वेदस्य वचः)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle: indeed)

• यादृशम्: such as / of the kind that
• यादृशम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यादृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (correlative with vāsaram)

• वासरम्: day
• वासरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• पावनम्: purifying
• पावनम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of vāsaram)

• जागरान्वितम्: accompanied by a vigil
• जागरान्वितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त; √इ/अन्वि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषार्थे (जागरेण अन्वितम् = endowed with vigil)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Dvārakā Māhātmya (contextual Purāṇic instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇoḥ vāra/tithi with jāgaraṇa (time-tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/ṛṣis evaluating comparative tīrtha merits

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic map-like composition: the seven sacred cities shown as luminous nodes, yet a single radiant ‘Viṣṇu day with vigil’ (a sun/moon with lamp) outshines them; devotees keep vigil beneath the cosmic clock of Kali-yuga.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, accessible devotional disciplines—especially Viṣṇu’s vigil—are exalted as exceptionally purifying, even when compared with famed sacred geographies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Dvārakā’s Viṣṇu-centered observance is being magnified, alongside a broader comparison to the traditional ‘seven sacred cities’ (sapta-purī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observing Viṣṇu’s vāsara (holy day) together with jāgaraṇa (night vigil).