Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । चतुर्विधं तु यत्पापं कोटिजन्मार्जितं कलौ । जागरे वैष्णवं शास्त्रं वाचयित्वा व्यपोहति

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | caturvidhaṃ tu yatpāpaṃ koṭijanmārjitaṃ kalau | jāgare vaiṣṇavaṃ śāstraṃ vācayitvā vyapohati

Translation

ईश्वर उवाच—कलौ कोटिजन्मार्जितं चतुर्विधं यत्पापं, जागरे वैष्णवं शास्त्रं वाचयित्वा व्यपोहति।

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• चतुर्विधम्: fourfold
• चतुर्विधम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वयार्थे (but/indeed)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-विशेषण (relative)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कोटिजन्मार्जितम्: accumulated over crores of births
• कोटिजन्मार्जितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोटि + जन्म + अर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; अर्ज् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• जागरे: in the vigil (jāgara)
• जागरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वैष्णवम्: Vaiṣṇava
• वैष्णवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• शास्त्रम्: scripture
• शास्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वाचयित्वा: having caused to be read/recited
• वाचयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वाचय् (धातु; causative of वच्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• व्यपोहति: removes
• व्यपोहति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अपोह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: वि-

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jāgara with Vaiṣṇava-śāstra-vācana (as a vrata-practice)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva instructs Skanda: a night-time temple or pilgrim camp with lamps; devotees remain awake while a reciter reads Vaiṣṇava scripture; the darkness of Kali is symbolically dispelled by the light of śāstra and vigil.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Kali-yuga
• Vaiṣṇava Śāstra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, accessible devotional practices—especially śāstra-recitation during a vigil—are exalted as powerful means of purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is embedded in Dvārakā Māhātmya, supporting Dvārakā’s devotional culture of worship and vigil.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform a jāgara (night vigil) and arrange/undertake recitation of Vaiṣṇava scripture (vaiṣṇava-śāstra-pāṭha).