Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

गोपीचंदनपुंड्रेण द्वादश्यां जागरे कृते । विष्णोर्नामसहस्रस्य पाठेन मुक्तिमाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

gopīcaṃdanapuṃḍreṇa dvādaśyāṃ jāgare kṛte | viṣṇornāmasahasrasya pāṭhena muktimāpnuyāt

Translation

Avec le puṇḍra vaiṣṇava de Gopīcandana sur le front, en veillant lors de Dvādaśī et en récitant les mille noms de Viṣṇu, on obtient la délivrance.

Word by Word

• गोपीचन्दनपुण्ड्रेण: with a Gopī-candana tilaka mark
• गोपीचन्दनपुण्ड्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपी-चन्दन-पुण्ड्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—गोपीचन्दनेन कृतः पुण्ड्रः / गोपीचन्दनस्य पुण्ड्रः (तत्पुरुष-भावः)

• द्वादश्याम्: on the Dvādaśī (12th lunar day)
• द्वादश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जागरे: in the vigil (night-wake)
• जागरे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘जागर’ = जागरण/रात्रिजागरण

• कृते: when (it is) done
• कृते: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘कृते’ = ‘when done’

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

• नामसहस्रस्य: of the thousand names
• नामसहस्रस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाम-सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—नाम्नां सहस्रम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• पाठेन: by recitation
• पाठेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुक्तिम्: liberation
• मुक्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आप्नुयात्: may obtain
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice within Dvārakā Māhātmya; specific speaker not stated in the verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Implied) the inquirer/assembly within the Purāṇic narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee at Dvārakā, forehead marked with bright gopīcandana ūrdhva-puṇḍra, seated through the night on Dvādaśī with a palm-leaf manuscript or rosary, reciting Viṣṇu-sahasranāma before Śrīpati’s shrine; lamps flicker, conch and sea-wind mingle.

Characters & Entities

• Gopīcandana
• Dvādaśī
• Viṣṇu
• Viṣṇu Sahasranāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional discipline—tilaka, vigil, and divine-name recitation—is presented as a direct path to mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The practice is taught within Dvārakā Māhātmya, associating Vaiṣṇava vrata-rites with Dvārakā’s sacred milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Apply Gopīcandana puṇḍra, observe Dvādaśī night vigil (jāgara), and recite Viṣṇu Sahasranāma.