Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

रात्रौ जागरणं सर्वैः कृतं परमया मुदा । अथोषसि प्रवृत्ते च प्रातःस्नानयुता भवन्

Transliteration

rātrau jāgaraṇaṃ sarvaiḥ kṛtaṃ paramayā mudā | athoṣasi pravṛtte ca prātaḥsnānayutā bhavan

Translation

രാത്രിയിൽ എല്ലാവരും പരമാനന്ദത്തോടെ ജാഗരണം നടത്തി; ഉഷസ്സു വന്നപ്പോൾ പ്രാതഃസ്നാനത്തിൽ ഏർപ്പെട്ടു।

Word by Word

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘at night’ (locative)

• जागरणम्: keeping vigil
• जागरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक; √जागृ धातोः भाव/करण-नाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as कर्म (object)

• सर्वैः: by all (of them)
• सर्वैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण/कर्तृ-सम्बन्ध

• कृतम्: was done
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘was done’ (impersonal passive sense)

• परमया: with great/supreme
• परमया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘with supreme’ (qualifying mudā)

• मुदा: joy
• मुदा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्/मुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘with joy’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/सम्बन्ध-बोधक (then/now)

• उषसि: at dawn
• उषसि: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘at dawn’

• प्रवृत्ते: when (it) had begun
• प्रवृत्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√वृत् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; locative absolute with उषसि

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

• प्रातःस्नानयुताः: having (performed) morning bath
• प्रातःस्नानयुताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रातः (अव्यय) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (प्रातःस्नान-युत = ‘endowed with morning-bath’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• भवन्: they became/were
• भवन्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्/लिट्-प्रयोग-सम्भाव्य; here as narrative imperfect: लङ् (past), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (भवन् = ‘they became’, epic usage)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (Mahēśvara-khaṇḍa narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nighttime vigil with lamps and chanting, transitioning to the first light of dawn where pilgrims move toward water for the morning bath amid Himalayan chill.

Characters & Entities

• Jāgaraṇa
• Prātaḥ-snāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vigil and dawn-bathing symbolize discipline and readiness—outer observance meant to support inner devotion and restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra-khaṇḍa setting relates to Kedāranātha’s sacred landscape, though the verse highlights practice rather than a named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Jāgaraṇa (night vigil) and prātaḥ-snāna (morning bath) are explicitly mentioned.