Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

अस्ति राजन्व्रतं पुण्यं शिवरात्रीतिसंज्ञितम् । एकाह्निकं महाराज सर्वपातकनाशनम्

Transliteration

asti rājanvrataṃ puṇyaṃ śivarātrītisaṃjñitam | ekāhnikaṃ mahārāja sarvapātakanāśanam

Translation

ഹേ രാജൻ, ‘ശിവരാത്രി’ എന്ന പേരിലുള്ള ഒരു പുണ്യവ്രതം ഉണ്ട്. ഹേ മഹാരാജാ, അത് ഏകദിന ആചരണമാകുന്നു; സർവ്വ പാതകങ്ങളും നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• अस्ति: there is / exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्रतम्: vow, observance
• व्रतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुण्यम्: holy, meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) व्रतम्-विशेषणम्

• शिवरात्रीति-संज्ञितम्: called ‘Śivarātri’
• शिवरात्रीति-संज्ञितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिवरात्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + इति (अव्यय) + संज्ञित (कृदन्त; √ज्ञा/ज्ञा? here as denom. संज्ञा/संज्ञि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle sense) ‘संज्ञित’ = ‘named/called’; समासः: इति-तत्पुरुष (quotative)

• एकाह्निकम्: lasting one day
• एकाह्निकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + अह्निक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) व्रतम्-विशेषणम्; समासः: तत्पुरुष (एक-अह्निक = one-day)

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वपातकनाशनम्: destroyer of all sins
• सर्वपातकनाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पातक (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) व्रतम्-विशेषणम्; समासः: तत्पुरुष (सर्व-पातक-नाशन = destroyer of all sins)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śivarātri-vrata

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (addressed as rājan, mahārāja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The teacher declares to the king the existence of the sacred vow ‘Śivarātri’, emphasizing its one-day nature and its power to destroy grave sins; the king listens with renewed hope.

Characters & Entities

• Bhartṛyajña
• Aśvasena
• Śivarātri
• Śiva (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s sacred night offers a concentrated path of purification, suited to Kali-yuga’s limitations.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse glorifies the vrata (Śivarātri) rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of Śivarātri as an ekāhnika (one-day) vrata with power to destroy grave sins.