Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

पंचरात्रं वसिष्यामो वयं तत्र समाहिताः । तस्माद्वह्निषु दारेषु रक्षा कार्या स्वशक्तितः

Transliteration

paṃcarātraṃ vasiṣyāmo vayaṃ tatra samāhitāḥ | tasmādvahniṣu dāreṣu rakṣā kāryā svaśaktitaḥ

Translation

“ہم وہاں یکسو اور متوجہ ہو کر پانچ راتیں قیام کریں گے؛ لہٰذا اپنی طاقت کے مطابق آگوں اور گھر بار (ازواج) کی حفاظت کرنا لازم ہے۔”

Word by Word

• पञ्चरात्रम्: for five nights
• पञ्चरात्रम्: Kala-adhikarana (Duration/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca + rātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कालपरिमाणवाचक (duration)

• वसिष्यामः: we shall stay
• वसिष्यामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vas (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• समाहिताः: composed, attentive
• समाहिताः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-√dhā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (state: composed/collected)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इत्यव्ययप्रयोगः (ablatival adverb: 'therefore/from that')

• वह्निषु: in the fires
• वह्निषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vahni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• दारेषु: in/among the wives (women of the household)
• दारेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāra (प्रातिपदिक; pluralia tantum)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• रक्षा: protection/guarding
• रक्षा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कार्या: must be done
• कार्या: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-अर्थे क्तव्य-भाव (gerundive/obligative adjective), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be done)

• स्वशक्तितः: according to one’s ability
• स्वशक्तितः: Upaya (Means/उपाय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sva + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'according to/from one's power')

Speaker

Narrator-embedded speech (a group of dvijas/munis addressing a householder/guardian figure in the story context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims preparing to depart: one elder instructs caretakers to guard the sacred fire altar and the household; a calm but serious domestic scene with ritual implements and protective gestures.

Characters & Entities

• Kārttika observance (implied)
• Sacred fires (vahni)
• Household/wives (dāra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage discipline includes practical dharma: safeguarding sacred fires and protecting the household while undertaking holy observances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing context remains the Puṣkara-traya pilgrimage site mentioned in the preceding verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pañcarātra-vāsa (a five-night stay) undertaken with samāhita-bhāva (focused religious intent).