Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

यथायथा स भूपालः कुरुते रात्रिजागरम् । महाकालाग्रतस्तस्य तथा वृद्धिः प्रजायते

Transliteration

yathāyathā sa bhūpālaḥ kurute rātrijāgaram | mahākālāgratastasya tathā vṛddhiḥ prajāyate

Translation

ആ ഭൂപാലൻ മഹാകാലന്റെ സന്നിധിയിൽ എത്രമാത്രം രാത്രി ജാഗരണം അനുഷ്ഠിക്കുമോ, അത്രത്തോളം തന്നെയാണ് അവന്റെ സമൃദ്ധി വർധിച്ചത്; കാരണം അത് മഹാകാലന്റെ സാന്നിധ്യത്തിൽ തന്നെയായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• yathā: as
• yathā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: यथार्थ/प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (correlative adverb: 'as/according as')

• yathā: as (repeated)
• yathā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्त-अव्ययम् (repeated for emphasis: 'more and more as')

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; pronoun)

• bhūpālaḥ: the king
• bhūpālaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū-pāla (प्रातिपदिक; भू + पाल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; 'protector of the earth')

• kurute: does/performs
• kurute: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम् (3rd person singular)

• rātri-jāgaram: night vigil
• rātri-jāgaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rātri (प्रातिपदिक) + jāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (night-vigil) (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• mahākāla-agrataḥ: before Mahākāla
• mahākāla-agrataḥ: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mahākāla (प्रातिपदिक) + agratas (अव्यय)
• Form: ‘अग्रतः’ देशवाचक-अव्ययम्; महाकालस्य (षष्ठी) सम्बन्धेन (in front of Mahākāla)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Genitive, Singular; pronoun)

• tathā: so
• tathā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध/तुल्यतावाचक-अव्ययम् (correlative: 'so/accordingly')

• vṛddhiḥ: increase/prosperity
• vṛddhiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• prajāyate: arises/is produced
• prajāyate: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√jan (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम् (3rd person singular)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Māhātmya (likely a Purāṇic narrator addressing a listener; exact speaker not stated in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla-agratā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king remains awake through the night in the temple forecourt; as the vigil continues, symbolic signs of prosperity—full granaries, flourishing banners, calm subjects—are shown as emanations of Mahākāla’s grace.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional discipline (night-vigil) performed directly before Mahākāla yields proportional spiritual and worldly increase.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahākāla’s sacred presence—implying a Mahākāla shrine/seat as a powerful tīrtha within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s pilgrimage context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Rātrijāgara—staying awake in devotional observance through the night in front of Mahākāla.