Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

उपोष्य परया भक्त्या रात्रौ कुर्वीत जागरम् । पञ्चामृतेन राजेन्द्र स्नापयेद्धनदं बुधः

Transliteration

upoṣya parayā bhaktyā rātrau kurvīta jāgaram | pañcāmṛtena rājendra snāpayeddhanadaṃ budhaḥ

Translation

Jejuando com devoção suprema, deve-se manter vigília durante a noite. Ó melhor dos reis, o devoto sábio deve banhar Dhanada (Kubera) com pañcāmṛta.

Word by Word

• उपोष्य: having fasted
• उपोष्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपवस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): 'having fasted'

• परया: with supreme
• परया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• भक्त्या: devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• कुर्वीत: should do/perform
• कुर्वीत: Kriya (Injunctive/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• जागरम्: night-vigil
• जागरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• पञ्च-अमृतेन: with pañcāmṛta (fivefold nectar mixture)
• पञ्च-अमृतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास: 'five nectars' (pañcāmṛta)

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; राजन् + इन्द्र

• स्नापयेत्: should bathe (cause to be bathed)
• स्नापयेत्: Kriya (Injunctive/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोजक (causative): 'should cause to bathe'

• धनदम्: Kubera
• धनदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• बुधः: a wise man
• बुधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (context continues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhanada-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night on the Narmadā bank: lamps in a row, devotees awake in vigil; a Kubera icon/shrine is bathed with pañcāmṛta poured from a kalasha, with attendants holding conch and bell; the river glimmers under moonlight.

Characters & Entities

• Dhanada (Kubera)
• Pañcāmṛta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through austerity (fasting) and attentive worship (vigil, abhiṣeka) is presented as the proper way to approach a powerful tirtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhanada-tīrtha associated with Kubera worship on the Narmadā’s southern bank.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (fasting), rātri-jāgaraṇa (night vigil), and pañcāmṛta-snāna/abhiṣeka of Dhanada.