Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

सत्येन शौचेन दमेन यत्फलं क्षमादयादानबलेन षण्मुख । दशाश्वमेधैर्बहुदक्षिणैश्च तेषां फलं जागरणेन विष्णोः

Transliteration

satyena śaucena damena yatphalaṃ kṣamādayādānabalena ṣaṇmukha | daśāśvamedhairbahudakṣiṇaiśca teṣāṃ phalaṃ jāgaraṇena viṣṇoḥ

Translation

اے شَنمُکھ! سچائی، پاکیزگی، ضبطِ نفس، درگزر اور دیگر اوصاف، اور سخاوت کی قوت سے جو ثواب ملتا ہے—بلکہ کثیر دَکشِنا کے ساتھ دس اشومیدھ یَجْیوں کا جو پھل ہے—وہ سب وِشنو بھگوان کے لیے جاگَرَن (رات بھر بیداری) سے حاصل ہوتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• सत्येन: by truthfulness
• सत्येन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• शौचेन: by purity
• शौचेन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• दमेन: by self-control
• दमेन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma/Pratipadya (Correlative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सूचक ‘यत् ... तत्’

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta/Predicate nominative
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘यत्फलम्’ इति समासवत् प्रयोग

• क्षमादयादानबलेन: by the power of forgiveness, compassion, and charity
• क्षमादयादानबलेन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षमादयादानबल (प्रातिपदिक; क्षमा + दया + दान + बल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (क्षमा-दया-दान-बल) समाहार-एकवचन

• षण्मुख: O Six-faced one (Ṣaṇmukha)
• षण्मुख: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण्मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि ‘षट् मुखानि यस्य’ (हे षण्मुख)

• दशाश्वमेधैः: by ten Aśvamedha sacrifices
• दशाश्वमेधैः: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशाश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक; दश + अश्वमेध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; द्विगु ‘दश अश्वमेधाः’

• बहुदक्षिणैः: with abundant fees (as offerings)
• बहुदक्षिणैः: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहुदक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक; बहु + दक्षिणा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहि ‘बह्वीः दक्षिणाः यस्य/येषाम्’ (बहुदक्षिणैः यज्ञैः)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तेषाम्: of those (acts)
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta/Predicate nominative
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• जागरणेन: by vigil
• जागरणेन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• विष्णोः: of Vishnu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified in excerpt (contextual narration within Dvārakā Māhātmya; likely Sūta-narration in Purāṇic frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṣaṇmukha (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A night-vigil in a lamp-lit Viṣṇu shrine: devotees seated with cymbals and conch, reciting hymns; the deity’s icon (four-armed Viṣṇu) presides while sacrificial fires and royal gifts appear faintly in the background as ‘surpassed’ symbols.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda)
• Aśvamedha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional vigilance (Viṣṇu-jāgaraṇa) is praised as a supreme, accessible source of merit—equal to or surpassing major virtues and grand Vedic sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is the praised sacred setting, within the Dvārakā Māhātmya of the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Jāgaraṇa for Viṣṇu—staying awake in worshipful vigil (typically through the night) as a vrata-like observance.