Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

मानकूटं तुलाकूटं कन्याहयगवां क्रयात् । तत्सर्वं विलयं याति द्वादश्यां जागरे कृते

Transliteration

mānakūṭaṃ tulākūṭaṃ kanyāhayagavāṃ krayāt | tatsarvaṃ vilayaṃ yāti dvādaśyāṃ jāgare kṛte

Translation

కొలతల్లో మోసం, తూకాల్లో మోసం, అలాగే కన్య, గుర్రం, గోవుల క్రయవిక్రయాల వల్ల కలిగిన దోషం—ద్వాదశి జాగరణం చేస్తే అది అంతా లయమవుతుంది।

Word by Word

• मानकूटम्: false measure (fraud in weights)
• मानकूटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मान-कूट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘मानस्य कूटम्’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; fraudulent measure/weight

• तुलाकूटम्: false scale (fraud in weighing)
• तुलाकूटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुला-कूट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘तुलायाः कूटम्’ षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; fraud in scales

• कन्याहयगवाम्: of girls, horses, and cows
• कन्याहयगवाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या-हय-गव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (कन्या) + पुंलिङ्ग (हय) + पुंलिङ्ग (गो) इत्येषां द्वन्द्वः; षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; ‘of girls, horses, and cows’

• क्रयात्: from purchase/sale (trade)
• क्रयात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; Ablative singular ‘from (the act of) purchase’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; demonstrative ‘that’

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘all (of that)’

• विलयम्: dissolution, destruction
• विलयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; Accusative singular; goal/state ‘dissolution’

• याति: goes to, becomes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘goes/comes to’

• द्वादश्याम्: on Dvādaśī
• द्वादश्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; Locative singular ‘on the Dvādaśī (12th lunar day)’

• जागरे: in the vigil
• जागरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; Locative singular ‘in/at the vigil’

• कृते: when (it is) done
• कृते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘when done/being performed’ (locative absolute with जागरे)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced from section continuity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A merchant lays down false weights and measures before the shrine, performing a Dvādaśī vigil in contrition; the corrupted tools dissolve into light, replaced by honest scales, while Keśava’s presence signifies purification.

Characters & Entities

• Dvādaśī
• Jāgaraṇa
• Dharma (trade ethics)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A Dvādaśī vigil is portrayed as a powerful purifier capable of dissolving heavy moral and social transgressions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Dvārakā Māhātmya, the vow is implicitly connected to the Dvārakā-centered Vaiṣṇava sacred sphere.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Jāgaraṇa (night vigil) on Dvādaśī.