Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

तस्याः पार्श्वे स्थिता दासी त्वया पृष्टा नरेश्वर । देवस्य पुरतो बाले किमर्थं रात्रिजागरम्

Transliteration

tasyāḥ pārśve sthitā dāsī tvayā pṛṣṭā nareśvara | devasya purato bāle kimarthaṃ rātrijāgaram

Translation

ข้าแต่มหาราช ท่านได้ถามนางทาสีที่ยืนอยู่ข้างกายเธอว่า “แม่หนู ต่อหน้าพระผู้เป็นเจ้า เหตุใดจึงมีการเฝ้าตื่นยามราตรีนี้?”

Word by Word

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-रूपम्

• पार्श्वे: at the side
• पार्श्वे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्श्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्

• स्थिता: standing/situated
• स्थिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त/PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• दासी: maidservant
• दासी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• पृष्टा: asked (questioned)
• पृष्टा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) → पृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त/PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; दासी-विशेषणम्

• नरेश्वर: O lord of men (king)
• नरेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: सम्बोधन-प्रयोगः; पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नराणाम् ईश्वरः)

• देवस्य: of the god
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्

• पुरतः: in front of
• पुरतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; उपसर्गार्थ-निपातः/अव्ययीभावार्थ-क्रियाविशेषणम् (preposition-like adverb)

• बाले: O girl
• बाले: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्

• किमर्थम्: for what reason? why?
• किमर्थम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययम्; तत्पुरुषसमासः (कस्य अर्थः)

• रात्रिजागरम्: night-vigil
• रात्रिजागरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि + जागर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषसमासः (रात्रौ जागरम्)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator, likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nareśvara (king) as questioner; maidservant as respondent in next verse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, observing the vigil, turns to a young maidservant beside Nāgavatī and asks, in the sanctum’s glow, why the night-vigil is being kept before Śiva.

Characters & Entities

• nareśvara (king)
• deva (Śiva in context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inquiry into dharma (praśna) is valued; understanding the purpose of rites deepens devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains the Śiva temple at Kedāra mentioned in the surrounding verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Rātri-jāgaraṇa (night vigil) as a temple-based observance.