Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 162

Devanagari script

माघमासे नरो यस्तु सप्तम्यां रविवासरे । कृष्णपक्षे महादेवि जागरं श्रद्धयाऽचरेत् । अर्कस्थलसमीपे तु स याति परमां गतिम्

Transliteration

māghamāse naro yastu saptamyāṃ ravivāsare | kṛṣṇapakṣe mahādevi jāgaraṃ śraddhayā'caret | arkasthalasamīpe tu sa yāti paramāṃ gatim

Translation

ข้าแต่มหาเทวี ในเดือนมาฆะ ผู้ใดในวันสัปตมีซึ่งตรงกับวันอาทิตย์ในกฤษณปักษ์ เฝ้าตื่นทำวัตรยามราตรีด้วยศรัทธาใกล้อรฺกสถาน ย่อมบรรลุคติอันสูงสุด

Word by Word

• माघमासे: in the month of Māgha
• माघमासे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघमास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—माघः मासः (कर्मधारय)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• सप्तम्याम्: on the seventh (lunar day)
• सप्तम्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक (locative of time)

• रविवासरे: on Sunday
• रविवासरे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रविवासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—रवेः वासरः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• कृष्णपक्षे: in the dark fortnight
• कृष्णपक्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णपक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—कृष्णः पक्षः (कर्मधारय)

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन; समासः—महा + देवी (कर्मधारय)

• जागरम्: vigil (wakefulness)
• जागरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• अचरेत्: should perform/practice
• अचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अर्कस्थलसमीपे: near Arka-sthala
• अर्कस्थलसमीपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्कस्थल + समीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—अर्कस्थलस्य समीपम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• याति: goes/attains
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• परमाम्: supreme
• परमाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier of गतिम्)

• गतिम्: state/goal
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator addressing Devī in Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arkasthala

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moonlit Māgha night at Arkasthala: devotees keep vigil with lamps, recite hymns, and offer arghya at dawn; the atmosphere is austere yet luminous, with Sūrya’s shrine/marker nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī
• Ravi (Sūrya)
• Arkasthala
• Māgha
• Saptamī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faithful observance of time-specific vrata (Māgha kṛṣṇa-saptamī on Sunday) at a sanctified site leads to the highest spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arkasthala, a sacred spot within the Prabhāsakṣetra praised for Sūrya-related worship and observances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing jāgaraṇa (night vigil) with śraddhā near Arkasthala on Māgha month, kṛṣṇapakṣa saptamī that coincides with Sunday.