Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

तस्माज्जागरणं कार्य्यं मातुर्जठरवर्जिभिः । भीतेर्मोक्षपरैर्मर्त्यैः सुखचेष्टाबहिष्कृतैः

Transliteration

tasmājjāgaraṇaṃ kāryyaṃ māturjaṭharavarjibhiḥ | bhītermokṣaparairmartyaiḥ sukhaceṣṭābahiṣkṛtaiḥ

Translation

ゆえに、母胎への再来を離れんと願い、輪廻（サンサーラ）を畏れ、解脱（モークシャ）に心を定め、安楽への耽溺を捨てた人々は、夜の聖なる守夜（ジャーガラ）を行うべきである。

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: from that (therefore)
• तस्मात्: अपादान (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे (contextual), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• जागरणम्: wakefulness; vigil
• जागरणम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक; √जागृ धातु-सम्भव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• कार्यम्: to be done; obligatory
• कार्यम्: विधेय (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ धातु-सम्भव, कृत्य-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विधेय-विशेषण (predicative adjective)

• मातुः: of the mother
• मातुः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• जठर-वर्जिभिः: by those who have left the womb (i.e., born beings)
• जठर-वर्जिभिः: करण (Instrument/Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जठर (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्जिन् (प्रातिपदिक; √वृज्/वर्ज् ‘to avoid’ धातु-सम्भव)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative): जठरं वर्जयन्ति इति; पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• भीतेः: from fear
• भीतेः: अपादान (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• मोक्ष-परैः: by those intent on liberation
• मोक्ष-परैः: करण (Instrument/Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: मोक्षे पराः (devoted to liberation); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मर्त्यैः: by mortals
• मर्त्यैः: कर्ता (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सुख-चेष्टा-बहिष्कृतैः: by those who have excluded pleasurable activities
• सुख-चेष्टा-बहिष्कृतैः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + चेष्टा (प्रातिपदिक) + बहिष्कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ धातु, बहिः + कृत)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: सुखचेष्टाः बहिष्कृताः येषां ते; पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

Speaker

An unnamed Purāṇic narrator within Dvārakā Māhātmya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (addressed as exhortation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A renunciant-minded pilgrim keeps vigil, rejecting comfort—no bed, minimal possessions—absorbed in Hari-nāma; imagery of saṃsāra as a dark ocean contrasted with lamp-lit wakefulness.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Jāgaraṇa is recommended as a liberation-oriented discipline tied to renunciation and freedom from rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, where Kṛṣṇa-jāgaraṇa is praised as a powerful vrata.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform jāgaraṇa with a mokṣa-intent mindset, avoiding comfort-seeking activities.