Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

भक्त्या वाऽप्यथवाऽभक्त्या शुचिर्वाप्यथवाऽशुचिः । कृत्वा जागरणं विष्णोर्मुच्यते पापकोटिभिः

Transliteration

bhaktyā vā'pyathavā'bhaktyā śucirvāpyathavā'śuciḥ | kṛtvā jāgaraṇaṃ viṣṇormucyate pāpakoṭibhiḥ

Translation

भक्त्या वाऽथवाऽभक्त्या, शुचिर्वाऽथवाऽशुचिः; विष्णोर्जागरणं कृत्वा पापकोटिभिर्मुच्यते।

Word by Word

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; means/with devotion

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक निपात (particle: also/even)

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (alternative: or else)

• अभक्त्या: with non-devotion
• अभक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; with lack of devotion

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular; predicative adjective

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक निपात (particle: also/even)

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (alternative: or else)

• अशुचिः: impure
• अशुचिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular; predicative adjective

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having done’ — Absolutive from √कृ

• जागरणम्: vigil/keeping awake
• जागरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Accusative singular; object of कृत्वा

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive) — is released

• पापकोटिभिः: from crores of sins
• पापकोटिभिः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार), तृतीया (अपादान/हेतु-निर्देशे), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural; ‘by/from crores of sins’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa-jāgara (Dvārakā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A diverse group of pilgrims—some weary, some humble, some unkempt—remain awake through the night before Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa; a radiant aura washes over them, and dark ‘sin’ forms dissolve into light.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Jāgaraṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Viṣṇu’s jāgaraṇa is presented as exceptionally purifying, capable of destroying vast sin even when the practitioner is imperfect.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dvārakā setting of the Dvārakā Māhātmya, where Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa worship is central.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing a night-vigil (jāgaraṇa) dedicated to Viṣṇu.