Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

पठेद्भागवतं रात्रौ पुराणं दयितं हरेः । यावत्सूर्य्यकृताऽलोको यावच्चन्द्रकृता निशा

Transliteration

paṭhedbhāgavataṃ rātrau purāṇaṃ dayitaṃ hareḥ | yāvatsūryyakṛtā'loko yāvaccandrakṛtā niśā

Translation

രാത്രിയിൽ ഹരിക്ക് പ്രിയമായ ഭാഗവതപുരാണം പാരായണം ചെയ്യണം; സൂര്യപ്രകാശം നിലനിൽക്കുന്നത്രയും ചന്ദ്രപ്രകാശമുള്ള രാത്രി നിലനിൽക്കുന്നത്രയും ഇടവിടാതെ പാരായണം തുടരണം।

Word by Word

• पठेत्: should read/recite
• पठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• भागवतम्: the Bhāgavata (Purāṇa)
• भागवतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भागवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• पुराणम्: Purāṇa
• पुराणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भागवतस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• दयितम्: beloved
• दयितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दयित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• हरेः: of Hari
• हरेः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• यावत्: as long as, until
• यावत्: Adhikarana (Extent/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/संबन्ध)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative), परिमाण/अवधि-निर्देशक

• सूर्य्यकृतः: made by the sun
• सूर्य्यकृतः: Vishesana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृ धातु, क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (सूर्येण कृतः), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• आलोकः: light, illumination
• आलोकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आलोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यावत्: as long as, until
• यावत्: Adhikarana (Extent/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/संबन्ध)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative), परिमाण/अवधि-निर्देशक

• चन्द्रकृता: made by the moon
• चन्द्रकृता: Vishesana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृ धातु, क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (चन्द्रेण कृता), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• निशा: night
• निशा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Skanda Purāṇa context within Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-inquirer

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of devotees reading from a manuscript of the Bhāgavata by lamplight; the reader sits on a low seat, listeners in attentive postures; sun and moon motifs indicate continuous recitation across day and night.

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Bhāgavata (Purāṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional scripture-recitation (Bhāgavata pāṭha) is upheld as a powerful, time-sanctifying act, especially when joined to night-vigil.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, where Vaiṣṇava observances like Bhāgavata recitation are framed as especially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite the Bhāgavata Purāṇa during the night (as part of jāgaraṇa), extending through the night’s watches and sacred time-cycles.