Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

शिवरात्रिं समासाद्य यस्तस्य पुरुषो द्विजाः । कुर्याज्जागरणं रात्रौ निराहारः स्थितः शुचिः

Transliteration

śivarātriṃ samāsādya yastasya puruṣo dvijāḥ | kuryājjāgaraṇaṃ rātrau nirāhāraḥ sthitaḥ śuciḥ

Translation

ஓ இருமுறை பிறந்தவர்களே! சிவராத்திரி வந்தபோது, அவருடைய பக்தனான எந்த மனிதன் இரவில் ஜாகரணம் செய்து—உண்ணாவிரதமாக, நிலைத்தும் தூய்மையுடனும் இருந்து—(கூறப்பட்ட புண்ணியத்தை அடைவான்)।

Word by Word

• शिवरात्रिम्: Śivarātri (the night of Śiva)
• शिवरात्रिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवरात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: शिवस्य रात्रिः (night of Śiva)

• समासाद्य: having reached; on attaining
• समासाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद् (धातु) + सम्-आ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable), ‘having reached/approached’

• यः: who; whichever person
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक relative pronoun

• तस्य: of that (Śivarātri)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (genitive), एकवचन

• पुरुषः: a man; person
• पुरुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा (vocative/nominative), बहुवचन; here संबोधन (address)

• कुर्यात्: should do; should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• जागरणम्: keeping vigil; wakefulness
• जागरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• निराहारः: fasting; without food
• निराहारः: Karta (Subject attribute/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्/निर्-तत्पुरुषः: आहारः नास्ति यस्य (without food/fasting)

• स्थितः: remaining; staying
• स्थितः: Karta (Subject attribute/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘standing/remaining’

• शुचिः: pure; clean
• शुचिः: Karta (Subject attribute/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṃkaṇeśvara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night-time temple vigil: devotees seated around the liṅga with lamps, chanting; some stand in disciplined posture, fasting; priests perform periodic abhiṣeka; the sky suggests Śivarātri darkness, with a calm, austere sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Śivarātri (vrata)
• Jāgaraṇa (night vigil)
• Upavāsa/Nirāhāra (fasting)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disciplined devotion—purity, fasting, and wakeful worship—on Śivarātri is presented as a direct means to receive Śiva’s grace and tīrtha-merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Śivarātri observance is being taught in the context of Maṃkaṇeśvara and the liṅgas of this Nāgara Khaṇḍa tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observe Śivarātri with jāgaraṇa (all-night vigil), nirāhāra (fasting), and śauca (purity/clean conduct).