Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

तत्र नागवती वेश्या शिवरात्रिपरायणा । केदारे परया भक्त्या करोति निशि जागरम्

Transliteration

tatra nāgavatī veśyā śivarātriparāyaṇā | kedāre parayā bhaktyā karoti niśi jāgaram

Translation

Doon, isang babaeng kortesana na nagngangalang Nāgavatī, na lubos na nakatuon sa Śivarātri, ang nagbantay sa buong gabi sa Kedāra nang may sukdulang debosyon.

Word by Word

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (there)

• nāgavatī: Nāgavatī
• nāgavatī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāgavatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम (proper noun)

• veśyā: courtesan
• veśyā: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veśyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• śivarātri-parāyaṇā: devoted to Śivarātri
• śivarātri-parāyaṇā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śivarātri (प्रातिपदिक) + parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शिवरात्रौ परायणः/परायणा = devoted to Śivarātri)

• kedāre: in Kedāra
• kedāre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kedāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थाननाम (in Kedāra)

• parayā: with great
• parayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (supreme/great)

• bhaktyā: devotion
• bhaktyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• karoti: does/performs
• karoti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• niśi: at night
• niśi: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• jāgaram: vigil
• jāgaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘जागर’ = जागरणम् (vigil)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nareśvara (king) addressed in v.34

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside the Kedāra Śiva temple at night, Nāgavatī the courtesan stands or sits in focused devotion, lamps flickering, eyes fixed on the liṅga, sustaining the vigil with unwavering faith.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgavatī
• Kedāra
• Śivarātri

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti transcends social labels; sincere Śivarātri observance at a sacred site brings spiritual uplift.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra, presented as a Śaiva sacred locus where night-vigil is performed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śivarātri night-vigil (jāgaraṇa) performed with devotion.