Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

अध्रुवेणैव देहेन प्रतिक्ष णविनाशिना । कथं नोपासते जंतुर्द्वादशीं जागरान्विताम्

Transliteration

adhruveṇaiva dehena pratikṣa ṇavināśinā | kathaṃ nopāsate jaṃturdvādaśīṃ jāgarānvitām

Translation

ക്ഷണക്ഷണം നശിക്കുന്ന ഈ അനിത്യ ദേഹത്തോടുകൂടിയിട്ടും, ജീവൻ ജാഗരണസഹിത ദ്വാദശിയെ എങ്ങനെ ഉപാസിക്കാതിരിക്കും?

Word by Word

• अध्रुवेण: with an impermanent
• अध्रुवेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying देहेन)

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

• देहेन: with the body
• देहेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• प्रतिक्षण-विनाशिना: perishing every moment
• प्रतिक्षण-विनाशिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिक्षण (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + विनाशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying देहेन); अव्ययीभाव-समासपूर्वक-तत्पुरुषभावः (प्रतिक्षणम् = every moment) + विनाशिन् (perishing)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• उपासते: worships/observes (devotionally)
• उपासते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); आत्मनेपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• जन्तुः: a creature/person
• जन्तुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• द्वादशीम्: the Dvādaśī (12th lunar day)
• द्वादशीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• जागर-अन्विताम्: accompanied by keeping vigil
• जागर-अन्विताम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying द्वादशीम्); तृतीया-तत्पुरुषार्थः (जागरेण अन्विता = accompanied by vigil)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvādaśī (Hari-tithi) in Dvārakā context

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A night vigil on Dvādaśī: devotees sit with lamps, chanting before Hari’s image; in the background, a faint allegory of time—falling leaves or a melting lamp—signifies moment-by-moment decay of the body, intensifying the call to worship.

Characters & Entities

• Dvādaśī
• Jāgara (vigil)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Because life is fragile, one should not delay devotional observances—Dvādaśī with vigil is urged.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is the chapter’s pilgrimage backdrop, framing the vrata as part of Dvārakā’s sacred culture.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observe Dvādaśī with jāgara (staying awake in devotion).