Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

वासरः को विना सूर्य्यं विना सोमेन का निशा । विना वृक्षेण को ग्रामो द्वादशी किं व्रतं विना

Transliteration

vāsaraḥ ko vinā sūryyaṃ vinā somena kā niśā | vinā vṛkṣeṇa ko grāmo dvādaśī kiṃ vrataṃ vinā

Translation

太陽なき昼とは何か。月なき夜とは何か。樹なき村とは何か。誓戒（ヴラタ）なきドヴァーダシーとは何であろうか。

Word by Word

• vāsaraḥ: day
• vāsaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन

• kaḥ: what/which (can there be)
• kaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन

• vinā: without
• vinā: Sambandha (Prepositional particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपपद-निपात (without)

• sūryam: the sun
• sūryam: Apādāna (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन (vinā-योगे)

• vinā: without
• vinā: Sambandha (Prepositional particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपपद (without)

• somena: the moon (Soma)
• somena: Apādāna (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: soma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd) एकवचन (vinā-योगे; वैदिक/पुराण-प्रयोगे तृतीया अपि दृश्यते)

• kā: what (can there be)
• kā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन

• niśā: night
• niśā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन

• vinā: without
• vinā: Sambandha (Prepositional particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपपद (without)

• vṛkṣeṇa: a tree
• vṛkṣeṇa: Apādāna (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd) एकवचन (vinā-योगे; तृतीया-प्रयोगः)

• kaḥ: what (can there be)
• kaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन

• grāmaḥ: village
• grāmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन

• dvādaśī: Dvādaśī
• dvādaśī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvādaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन

• kim: what (is it)
• kim: Karta (Predicate interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd) एकवचन

• vratam: vow/observance
• vratam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन

• vinā: without
• vinā: Sambandha (Prepositional particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपपद (without)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: Sun illuminating day, Moon illuminating night, a village centered around a great tree, and a devotee holding a vrata-sankalpa on Dvādaśī—four panels showing ‘completeness’.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Soma (Moon)
• Dvādaśī
• Vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred life needs its supports: just as the cosmos needs Sun and Moon, Dvādaśī gains meaning through vrata-discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Dvārakā-māhātmya, associating Dvārakā with disciplined devotional practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dvādaśī should be observed with a proper vrata (vow/fast/discipline), not left empty of practice.