Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अरुणेन वज्रहस्ताय कथितं पृच्छते पुरा । द्वादशीजागरस्योक्तं फलं विप्रा मया च वः । तत्कुरुध्वं द्विजा यूयं जागरं विष्णुवासरे

Transliteration

aruṇena vajrahastāya kathitaṃ pṛcchate purā | dvādaśījāgarasyoktaṃ phalaṃ viprā mayā ca vaḥ | tatkurudhvaṃ dvijā yūyaṃ jāgaraṃ viṣṇuvāsare

Translation

Il y a longtemps, Aruṇa raconta cela à Vajrahasta lorsqu’il l’interrogea. Et moi aussi, ô brāhmaṇa, je vous ai exposé le fruit de la veille de Dvādaśī. Ainsi donc, ô deux-fois-nés, accomplissez cette veille au jour sacré de Viṣṇu.

Word by Word

• अरुणेन: by Aruṇa
• अरुणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• वज्रहस्ताय: to Vajrahasta (one having a thunderbolt in hand)
• वज्रहस्ताय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्रहस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन — Dative singular; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वज्रस्य हस्तः)

• कथितम्: told / narrated
• कथितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — past passive participle ‘told/said’

• पृच्छते: asks
• पृच्छते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — ‘asks’

• पुरा: formerly / earlier
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• द्वादशीजागरस्य: of the Dvādaśī vigil
• द्वादशीजागरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशी + जागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Genitive singular; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्वादश्याः जागरः)

• उक्तम्: stated
• उक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘said/declared’ (qualifying फलम्)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Nominative/Accusative singular

• विप्राः: O Brahmins
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), बहुवचन — Vocative plural

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular ‘by me’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• वः: to you / for you
• वः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी/षष्ठी, बहुवचन — Dative/Genitive plural ‘to you/for you’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Accusative singular; ‘that’ (referring to the act)

• कुरुध्वम्: do / perform
• कुरुध्वम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद — ‘do (you all)’

• द्विजाः: O twice-born
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), बहुवचन — Vocative plural

• यूयम्: you (all)
• यूयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Nominative plural

• जागरम्: vigil / wakefulness observance
• जागरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• विष्णुवासरे: on Viṣṇu’s day (Thursday)
• विष्णुवासरे: Adhikarana (Location/Time locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु + वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — Locative singular; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विष्णोः वासरः)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextually a narrator/teacher exhorting brāhmaṇas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ (brāhmaṇas/twice-born)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator recounts earlier transmission: Aruṇa instructing Vajrahasta; then the present speaker addressing brāhmaṇas, urging them to perform the Dvādaśī vigil on Viṣṇu’s day.

Characters & Entities

• Aruṇa
• Vajrahasta
• Viṣṇu
• Vipras (Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A proven, traditionally transmitted observance should be practiced—especially the Dvādaśī vigil dedicated to Viṣṇu.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse focuses on the vrata; the surrounding Dvārakā Māhātmya frames it within Dvārakā’s sacred greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform the Dvādaśī jāgara (night vigil) on Viṣṇu-vāsara (Viṣṇu’s holy day).