Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

रात्रौ जागरणं सर्वैः कृतं परमया मुदा । अथोषसि प्रवृत्ते च प्रातःस्नानयुता भवन्

Transliteration

rātrau jāgaraṇaṃ sarvaiḥ kṛtaṃ paramayā mudā | athoṣasi pravṛtte ca prātaḥsnānayutā bhavan

Translation

رات کو سب نے بڑی مسرت کے ساتھ جاگ کر جاگَرَن کیا؛ پھر جب سحر نمودار ہوئی تو وہ صبح کے غسل میں لگ گئے۔

Word by Word

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘at night’ (locative)

• जागरणम्: keeping vigil
• जागरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक; √जागृ धातोः भाव/करण-नाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as कर्म (object)

• सर्वैः: by all (of them)
• सर्वैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण/कर्तृ-सम्बन्ध

• कृतम्: was done
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘was done’ (impersonal passive sense)

• परमया: with great/supreme
• परमया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘with supreme’ (qualifying mudā)

• मुदा: joy
• मुदा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्/मुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘with joy’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/सम्बन्ध-बोधक (then/now)

• उषसि: at dawn
• उषसि: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘at dawn’

• प्रवृत्ते: when (it) had begun
• प्रवृत्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√वृत् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; locative absolute with उषसि

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

• प्रातःस्नानयुताः: having (performed) morning bath
• प्रातःस्नानयुताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रातः (अव्यय) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (प्रातःस्नान-युत = ‘endowed with morning-bath’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• भवन्: they became/were
• भवन्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्/लिट्-प्रयोग-सम्भाव्य; here as narrative imperfect: लङ् (past), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (भवन् = ‘they became’, epic usage)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (Mahēśvara-khaṇḍa narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nighttime vigil with lamps and chanting, transitioning to the first light of dawn where pilgrims move toward water for the morning bath amid Himalayan chill.

Characters & Entities

• Jāgaraṇa
• Prātaḥ-snāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vigil and dawn-bathing symbolize discipline and readiness—outer observance meant to support inner devotion and restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra-khaṇḍa setting relates to Kedāranātha’s sacred landscape, though the verse highlights practice rather than a named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Jāgaraṇa (night vigil) and prātaḥ-snāna (morning bath) are explicitly mentioned.