Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

अथापश्यदृषीन्सर्वाञ्छ्रीसोमेशपुरःस्थितान् । रात्रौ जागरणार्थाय जपहोमपरायणान्

Transliteration

athāpaśyadṛṣīnsarvāñchrīsomeśapuraḥsthitān | rātrau jāgaraṇārthāya japahomaparāyaṇān

Translation

Alors il vit tous les ṛṣi, postés devant la cité sacrée de Someśvara, voués à la veille nocturne, entièrement tournés vers le japa et le homa.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Avyaya (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereupon)

• अपश्यत्: saw
• अपश्यत्: Karta (Subject implied)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• ऋषीन्: sages
• ऋषीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• श्री-सोमेश-पुरः-स्थितान्: standing before revered Someśa (Somanātha)
• श्री-सोमेश-पुरः-स्थितान्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + सोमेश (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरस्/पुरः (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + स्था (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) ‘स्थित’ = standing; समासः—(श्रीसोमेशस्य पुरः) स्थिताः

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Time locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• जागरण-अर्थाय: for the purpose of keeping vigil
• जागरण-अर्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजन (purpose)

• जप-होम-परायणान्: devoted to recitation and fire-offerings
• जप-होम-परायणान्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक) + होम (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण; (जपश्च होमश्च) तयोः परायणाः = devoted to japa and homa

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Someśvara/Somanātha precinct at Prabhāsa

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A nocturnal scene before Someśvara’s sacred city: rows of sages seated around small homa fires, hands moving in japa, smoke curling upward, lamps flickering, the temple gateway looming behind.

Characters & Entities

• Someśvara
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Association with sages and disciplined worship (japa-homa with vigil) sanctifies a pilgrim’s visit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Someśvara/Somanātha area within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, presented as a place where sages perform night worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Night vigil (jāgaraṇa) supported by japa (recitation) and homa (oblations).