Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

रात्रौ जागरणं कार्य्यं स्तोत्रैर्नानाविधैरपि । आहूय ब्राह्मणान्भक्त्या भोजयेच्च स्वशक्तितः

Transliteration

rātrau jāgaraṇaṃ kāryyaṃ stotrairnānāvidhairapi | āhūya brāhmaṇānbhaktyā bhojayecca svaśaktitaḥ

Translation

ในยามราตรีพึงทำการตื่นเฝ้า (ชาครณะ) สวดสโตตระนานาประการ และเชิญพราหมณ์ด้วยศรัทธา แล้วเลี้ยงภัตตาหารตามกำลังของตน

Word by Word

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे कालाधिकरणम् (time-locative)

• जागरणम्: wakefulness; vigil
• जागरणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक; √जागृ धातु-निष्पन्न नाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; कर्म/विधेयभावे

• कार्यम्: should be done
• कार्यम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ धातोः क्तव्य/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त अर्थः)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषणम् (predicative: ‘to be done’)

• स्तोत्रैः: with hymns
• स्तोत्रैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• नानाविधैः: of various kinds
• नानाविधैः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना (अव्यय) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘नाना’ इति विशेषणपूर्वपदेन कर्मधारयः; स्तोत्रैः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• आहूय: having invited
• आहूय: Kriyā (क्रिया; पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√ह्वे (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund); पूर्वकाले कृत्यर्थक क्रिया (having called/invited)

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भोजयेत्: should feed
• भोजयेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भुज् (धातु) [णिच् causative: भोजय-]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोगः (cause to eat/feed)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• स्वशक्तितः: according to one’s ability
• स्वशक्तितः: Hetu/Adverbial (हेतु/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित)
• Form: तद्धितान्त अव्यय (तस्-प्रत्यय; Ablatival adverb); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘स्वस्य शक्तिः’ → ‘स्वशक्ति’; अर्थः ‘यथाशक्ति/स्वसामर्थ्यात्’

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (jāgaraṇa and brāhmaṇa-bhojana)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lamp-lit night in Dvārakā: devotees sit in circles chanting stotras; conch and bell punctuate the hymns; nearby, brāhmaṇas are respectfully seated and served warm food as part of annadāna.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A vow is perfected by disciplined devotion (vigil and hymns) and compassionate giving (feeding worthy guests).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā’s vow-practice context within the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, connected to Gomatī tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Night vigil with hymn-recitation and feeding brāhmaṇas according to one’s means.