Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

आरार्तिकेन संपूज्य दण्डवत्प्रणिपत्य च । घृतेन दीपकं दत्त्वा रात्रौ जागरणं तथा । कुर्य्याच्च गीतवादित्रैस्तथा पुस्तकवाचकैः

Transliteration

ārārtikena saṃpūjya daṇḍavatpraṇipatya ca | ghṛtena dīpakaṃ dattvā rātrau jāgaraṇaṃ tathā | kuryyācca gītavāditraistathā pustakavācakaiḥ

Translation

Sau khi cúng bái viên mãn bằng ārati và phủ phục đảnh lễ (daṇḍavat), hãy dâng một ngọn đèn bằng bơ ghee và thức suốt đêm canh thức; lại thực hành cùng những bài ca sùng kính, nhạc khí, và cả việc tụng đọc các kinh sách thánh.

Word by Word

• आरार्तिकेन: with the ārārtika (lamp-waving rite)
• आरार्तिकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आरार्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by/with ārārtika)

• संपूज्य: having duly worshipped
• संपूज्य: Kriya (Gerundial prior action/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त), पूर्वकाल; Absolutive/gerund: ‘having worshipped’

• दण्डवत्: fully prostrate (like a staff)
• दण्डवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दण्डवत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial) ‘like a staff/fully prostrate’

• प्रणिपत्य: having bowed down
• प्रणिपत्य: Kriya (Gerundial prior action/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नि + पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त), पूर्वकाल; Absolutive: ‘having bowed down’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• घृतेन: with ghee
• घृतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• दीपकम्: a lamp
• दीपकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीपक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• दत्त्वा: having offered
• दत्त्वा: Kriya (Gerundial prior action/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त), पूर्वकाल; Absolutive: ‘having given/offered’

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• जागरणम्: a vigil (night-wake)
• जागरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 3rd person singular optative ‘should do’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गीतवादित्रैः: with musical instruments (for songs)
• गीतवादित्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत + वादित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural; समासः—षष्ठी/उपपद-तत्पुरुष (गीतस्य वादित्रम्)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पुस्तकवाचकैः: with reciters/readers of books
• पुस्तकवाचकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुस्तक + वाचक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पुस्तकस्य वाचकः)

Speaker

Prahlāda (continuing instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas/devotees

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Dvārakā temple night: priests wave multi-wick ārati lamps before Kṛṣṇa; devotees prostrate; rows of ghee lamps glow; musicians play mṛdaṅga and cymbals; a reader recites from a scripture as the congregation keeps vigil.

Characters & Entities

• Ārati
• Ghṛta-dīpa (ghee lamp)
• Jāgaraṇa (night vigil)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship matures into sustained remembrance—light, humility, and all-night devotion centered on the Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā’s worship-tradition within the Dvārakā-māhātmya context, where such observances are praised as highly meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform ārati, do daṇḍavat-pranāma, offer a ghee lamp, keep night vigil, and engage in bhajans/music and scriptural recitation.