Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

नंदायां तु जयायां वै भद्रा चैव भवेद्यदि । उपवासार्चने गीते दुर्ल्लभा कृष्णसन्निधौ

Transliteration

naṃdāyāṃ tu jayāyāṃ vai bhadrā caiva bhavedyadi | upavāsārcane gīte durllabhā kṛṣṇasannidhau

Translation

നന്ദാ, ജയാ, ഭദ്രാ എന്നീ ശുഭയോഗങ്ങൾ സംഭവിച്ചാൽ, കൃഷ്ണസന്നിധിയിൽ ഉപവാസം, അർച്ചന, ഭക്തിഗാനം അത്യന്തം ദുർലഭവും അമൂല്യവും ആകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• नन्दायाम्: on (the tithi called) Nandā
• नन्दायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• जयायाम्: on (the tithi called) Jayā
• जयायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• भद्रा: (the tithi called) Bhadrā
• भद्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (particle: only/indeed)

• भवेत्: may be/should occur
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (conditional conjunction: if)

• उपवासार्चने: in fasting and worship
• उपवासार्चने: Adhikarana (Sphere/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), द्विवचन (Dual); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (उपवासश्च अर्चनं च)

• गीते: in singing/chanting
• गीते: Adhikarana (Sphere/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• दुर्लभा: rare/difficult to obtain
• दुर्लभा: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कृष्णसन्निधौ: in the presence of Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णसन्निधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कृष्णस्य सन्निधिः)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (Kṛṣṇa-sannidhi)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A rare auspicious day at Dwārakā: devotees fasting, singing bhajans with cymbals, priests performing arcanā; a pañcāṅga reader indicates Nandā/Jayā/Bhadrā yogas; the sanctum glows with Kṛṣṇa’s presence.

Characters & Entities

• Nandā
• Jayā
• Bhadrā
• Kṛṣṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When rare auspicious timings align, one should intensify bhakti practices—fasting, worship, and sacred song—especially near Kṛṣṇa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kṛṣṇa’s sannidhi in the Dwārakā context (Kṛṣṇa-purī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (fasting), arcana (worship), and gīta (devotional singing) during special auspicious occasions (Nandā/Jayā/Bhadrā).