Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

शिवरात्रिस्ततः प्रोक्ता तेन सा हरवल्लभा । प्रार्थितः स सुरैः सर्वैर्लोकानुग्रहकाम्यया

Transliteration

śivarātristataḥ proktā tena sā haravallabhā | prārthitaḥ sa suraiḥ sarvairlokānugrahakāmyayā

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ടാണ് അത് ‘ശിവരാത്രി’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധമായത്; അതിനാൽ ആ രാത്രി ഹരനു അത്യന്തം പ്രിയം. ലോകങ്ങളുടെ അനുഗ്രഹം ആഗ്രഹിച്ച് എല്ലാ ദേവന്മാരും അവനെ പ്രാർത്ഥിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• शिवरात्रिः: Śiva-night (Śivarātri)
• शिवरात्रिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + रात्रि (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शिवस्य रात्रिः)

• ततः: therefore/then
• ततः: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-अर्थे (ablatival adverb: ‘therefore/then’)

• प्रोक्ता: is said/was declared
• प्रोक्ता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (अस्ति इति अध्याहारः)

• तेन: by that/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सा: she/that (night)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• हरवल्लभा: beloved of Hara
• हरवल्लभा: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर + वल्लभा (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (हरस्य वल्लभा)

• प्रार्थितः: was requested/prayed to
• प्रार्थितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+अर्थ् (धातु) → प्रार्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• सुरैः: by the gods
• सुरैः: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सर्वैः: by all
• सर्वैः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘सुरैः’)

• लोकानुग्रहकाम्यया: with the wish to benefit the worlds
• लोकानुग्रहकाम्यया: Hetu (Cause/Motive/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक + अनुग्रह + काम्य (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तृतीया-हेतौ (instrumental of motive); समासः: लोकानाम् अनुग्रहः तस्य काम्या (desire for the favor of the worlds)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice); specific speaker not explicit in this verse

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śivarātri (observance/night)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Assembly of devas with folded hands petitioning Śiva; Śiva grants the boon of the sacred night, with a cosmic night-sky backdrop and a radiant liṅga below.

Characters & Entities

• Śivarātri
• Hara
• sura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śivarātri is framed as a cosmos-benefiting institution, established through divine concern for universal welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This line highlights the sacred time (Śivarātri) more than a specific place; it functions within a Tīrthamāhātmya narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, honoring Śivarātri as a specially empowered night for Śiva worship.