Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 145

Devanagari script

जागृतश्चातिदुःखेन कथं पापं न हास्यति । इत्थंस जागरं कृत्वा शिवरात्र्यां नरेश्वरः

Transliteration

jāgṛtaścātiduḥkhena kathaṃ pāpaṃ na hāsyati | itthaṃsa jāgaraṃ kṛtvā śivarātryāṃ nareśvaraḥ

Translation

അത്യന്ത ദുഃഖത്തിലും ജാഗരണം ചെയ്യുന്നവന്റെ പാപം എങ്ങനെ ക്ഷയിക്കാതിരിക്കും? ഇങ്ങനെ, ഹേ നരേശ്വരാ, ശിവരാത്രിയിൽ രാത്രിജാഗരണം ചെയ്താൽ പാപക്ഷയം ലഭിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• जागृतः: awake; having kept vigil
• जागृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जागृत् (कृदन्त; √जागृ धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषणरूपेण

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

• अतिदुःखेन: by/with great sorrow
• अतिदुःखेन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिदुःख (प्रातिपदिक; अति + दुःख)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/हेतु-प्रयोग (instrumental/causal)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मपद

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• हास्यति: will abandon / will cast off
• हास्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हास् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/भविष्यत्सन्निकर्ष), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• इत्थम्: thus
• इत्थम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• जागरम्: vigil (wakefulness)
• जागरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मपद

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Prior action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• शिवरात्र्याम्: on the night of Śiva (Śivarātri)
• शिवरात्र्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवरात्रि (प्रातिपदिक; शिव + रात्रि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• नरेश्वरः: the lord of men (king)
• नरेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; नर + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; instructive address 'nareśvara')

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nareśvara (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king or noble devotee keeps an all-night vigil on Śivarātri—lamp-lit shrine, liṅga adorned with bilva, attendants weary yet steadfast; the mood is austere devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Śivarātri
• Jāgaraṇa (night vigil)
• King (Nareśvara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity performed with resolve—especially Śivarātri night vigil—acts as a powerful purifier of sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha setting of Adhyāya 209, in the Bhāreśvara context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Jāgaraṇa (staying awake in devotional vigil) on Śivarātri.