Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

जागरं विदधद्रात्रौ दीपं दत्त्वा तु सर्वशः । होमं च कारयेद्विप्रो नियतात्मा शुचिव्रतः

Transliteration

jāgaraṃ vidadhadrātrau dīpaṃ dattvā tu sarvaśaḥ | homaṃ ca kārayedvipro niyatātmā śucivrataḥ

Translation

ରାତିରେ ଜାଗରଣ କରି ସର୍ବତ୍ର ଦୀପଦାନ ଦେଇ, ନିୟତାତ୍ମା ଶୁଚିବ୍ରତ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ ହୋମ ମଧ୍ୟ ବିଧିପୂର୍ବକ କରାଇବା ଉଚିତ।

Word by Word

• jāgaram: vigil
• jāgaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘विदधत्’ इत्यस्य कर्म

• vidadhat: performing, arranging
• vidadhat: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhā (धातु) + vi- उपसर्ग; शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः

• rātrau: at night
• rātrau: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rātri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरणम्

• dīpam: a lamp
• dīpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘दत्त्वा’ इत्यस्य कर्म

• dattvā: having given
• dattvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु); त्वा-प्रत्यय (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया

• tu: and/indeed
• tu: Discourse (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• sarvaśaḥ: in every way, completely
• sarvaśaḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvaśas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• homam: fire-offering
• homam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: homa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘कारयेत्’ इत्यस्य कर्म

• ca: and
• ca: Discourse (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• kārayet: should cause to be done, should have performed
• kārayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) णिच् (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• vipraḥ: a brāhmaṇa
• vipraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्ता

• niyatātmā: one whose self is controlled
• niyatātmā: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niyata + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘विप्रः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; ‘नियत आत्मा यस्य सः’

• śucivrataḥ: one of pure vows
• śucivrataḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘विप्रः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; ‘शुचि व्रतं यस्य सः’

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa framework)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined brāhmaṇa keeps night-vigil in Ayodhyā, rows of oil-lamps glowing around a shrine; a small homa-kuṇḍa burns steadily as offerings are made in silence and purity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is strengthened by disciplined practice—vigil, offerings of light, and sanctifying fire-rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā, where the Pauṣa vrata and its ritual regimen are being taught.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Jāgara at night, dīpa-dāna (lamp offerings), and homa—performed with purity and self-restraint.