Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

ततः कश्चिन्मया पृष्टः क्रियते जागरोऽत्र किम् । क एते जागरासक्ता लोकाः कीर्तय मे द्रुतम्

Transliteration

tataḥ kaścinmayā pṛṣṭaḥ kriyate jāgaro'tra kim | ka ete jāgarāsaktā lokāḥ kīrtaya me drutam

Translation

แล้วข้าพเจ้าจึงถามผู้หนึ่งว่า “เหตุใดที่นี่จึงมีการถือ ‘ชาคร’ เฝ้าตื่นตลอดราตรี? ผู้คนที่เลื่อมใสในการเฝ้าตื่นนี้คือใคร? โปรดบอกข้าโดยเร็ว”

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक (temporal/sequence adverb)

• कश्चित्: someone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कश्चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन (Singular); अनिश्चित-पुरुषवाचक सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• पृष्टः: asked
• पृष्टः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) → पृष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• क्रियते: is done
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• जागरः: vigil, night-wake
• जागरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc); एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• कः: who?
• कः: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

• जागरासक्ताः: attached to the vigil
• जागरासक्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जागर + आसक्त (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (जागरे आसक्ताः); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; विशेषण

• लोकाः: people
• लोकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

• कीर्तय: tell, describe
• कीर्तय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु; णिजन्त of कीर्त्/कीर्ति)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative); परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष (2nd); एकवचन

• मे: to me / for me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी/षष्ठी (Dat/Gen); एकवचन

• द्रुतम्: quickly
• द्रुतम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्रुतम् (अव्यय/नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (inquiry by the pilgrim at the Mahākāla vigil)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla-kṣetra (Mahākāleśvara)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A local informant/participant (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traveler in a temple town at dusk notices groups preparing for an all-night vigil—lamps being lit, devotees gathering, priests arranging offerings—prompting his urgent question.

Characters & Entities

• Jāgara
• Mahākāla (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere questioning in a sacred setting is itself a dharmic act; inquiry opens the door to understanding vrata and tīrtha greatness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate context is Mahākāla’s sanctuary where a communal jāgara is being held.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Jāgara (night vigil) is explicitly mentioned; the verse frames a request for its purpose and participants.