Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

वैशाखीदिवसे राजंस्त्वं सदाभ्येत्य दूरतः । वर्षेवर्षेऽस्य देवस्य पुरतो रात्रिजागरम्

Transliteration

vaiśākhīdivase rājaṃstvaṃ sadābhyetya dūrataḥ | varṣevarṣe'sya devasya purato rātrijāgaram

Translation

“اے راجن! ویساکھی کے دن تم ہمیشہ دور سے بھی آتے ہو؛ سال بہ سال اس دیوتا کے حضور رات بھر جاگ کر پہرۂ عبادت کرتے ہو۔”

Word by Word

• vaiśākhī-divase: on the Vaiśākhī day
• vaiśākhī-divase: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiśākhīdivasa (प्रातिपदिक) = vaiśākhī + divasa
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (वैशाख्याः दिवसे)

• rājan: O king
• rājan: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषार्थे सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (always)

• abhyetya: having come/approached
• abhyetya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√i (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव; अर्थः—अभिगम्य (having approached/come)

• dūrataḥ: from afar
• dūrataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dūratas (अव्यय/तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिलन्त (ablatival adverb) अर्थः—दूरात् (from afar)

• varṣe-varṣe: year after year
• varṣe-varṣe: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोगः; सप्तमी-एकवचनयोः द्विरुक्तिः, अव्ययवत् (every year)

• asya: of this
• asya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• devasya: of the deity
• devasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• purataḥ: in front (of)
• purataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: puratas (अव्यय/तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (in front of)

• rātri-jāgaram: night vigil
• rātri-jāgaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rātrijāgara (प्रातिपदिक) = rātri + jāgara
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (रात्रौ जागरम्)

Speaker

Munīśvaras / assembled sages (addressing the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇa audience; internally, sages address the king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages address the king: on Vaiśākhī he comes from afar and keeps an all-night vigil before the deity—lamps, chanting, and a wakeful crowd in the temple courtyard.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśākhī
• Deity at the site (contextually Mahākāla)
• King

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consistency in yearly vows—especially at a holy site—deepens devotion and establishes lasting merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Mahākāla-centered shrine/tīrtha (the deity ‘here’), where the king performs yearly vigil.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Annual rātrijāgara on Vaiśākhī day, performed before the deity.