Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

तद्रात्रौ जागरं कृत्वा प्रभाते ह्यरुणोदये । पातयेन्महिषान्मेषानग्रतो गतकंधरान्

Transliteration

tadrātrau jāgaraṃ kṛtvā prabhāte hyaruṇodaye | pātayenmahiṣānmeṣānagrato gatakaṃdharān

Translation

اُس رات جاگ کر، صبح کے وقت جب افق پر سرخی پھیل رہی ہو، آگے رکھ کر گردنیں کھلی کی ہوئی بھینسوں اور مینڈھوں کو نذر کے طور پر ذبح کرائے۔

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनरूप (समासपूर्वपदत्वे अव्यक्तविभक्ति), निर्देशक (that)

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• जागरम्: vigil (wakefulness)
• जागरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund)

• प्रभाते: in the morning
• प्रभाते: Adhikarana (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle)

• अरुणोदये: at sunrise (dawn)
• अरुणोदये: Adhikarana (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरुण + उदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अरुणस्य उदयः)

• पातयेत्: should make fall / should slaughter
• पातयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative sense: cause to fall)

• महिषान्: buffaloes
• महिषान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• मेषान्: rams
• मेषान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• अग्रतः: in front
• अग्रतः: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (in front; adverb)

• गतकन्धरान्: with necks gone (decapitated)
• गतकन्धरान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + कन्धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—येषां कन्धराः गताः/नष्टाः ते (decapitated)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Yogeśvarī/Devī-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After an all-night vigil, at red dawn the officiants stand before the Devī; animals are presented in front with bared necks as part of a fierce offering rite, with drums and torches fading into sunrise.

Characters & Entities

• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text emphasizes strict timing, vigilance, and ritual exactness as integral to traditional vrata observance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, within whose Māhātmya these rite-instructions are preserved.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Night-long jāgaraṇa followed by a dawn-time bali/offering involving buffaloes and rams (as described in the verse).