Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

शास्त्रं भागवतं तथा च दयितं रामायणं द्वारका पुण्यं मालतिसम्भवं सुदयितं गीतं कृतं जागरम्

Transliteration

śāstraṃ bhāgavataṃ tathā ca dayitaṃ rāmāyaṇaṃ dvārakā puṇyaṃ mālatisambhavaṃ sudayitaṃ gītaṃ kṛtaṃ jāgaram

Translation

《薄伽梵经》圣典为主所爱，《罗摩衍那》亦为所爱；都瓦罗迦乃圣地。尤为钟爱的是奉爱之歌与守夜（阇伽罗）；而由茉莉花（玛拉蒂）所成的芬芳供品亦为珍贵。

Word by Word

• śāstram: scripture; treatise
• śāstram: Karta/Item listed (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāstra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• bhāgavatam: Bhāgavata (pertaining to the Lord)
• bhāgavatam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāgavata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (Bhāgavata-related)

• tathā: also; likewise
• tathā: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: तथार्थक अव्यय (also/likewise)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• dayitam: dear; beloved
• dayitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dayita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (dear)

• rāmāyaṇam: the Rāmāyaṇa
• rāmāyaṇam: Karta/Item listed (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāmāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• dvārakā: Dvārakā
• dvārakā: Karta/Item listed (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvārakā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• puṇyam: holy; meritorious
• puṇyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (holy/meritorious)

• mālatisambhavam: born of Mālatī; arising from mālatī
• mālatisambhavam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mālatī + sambhava (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (mālatyāḥ sambhavam)

• sudayitam: very dear
• sudayitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + dayita (प्रातिपदिक; उपसर्ग/प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (very dear)

• gītam: song; chant
• gītam: Karta/Item listed (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gīta (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (song; that which is sung)

• kṛtam: made; performed
• kṛtam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (made/done)

• jāgaram: vigil; night-wake
• jāgaram: Karta/Item listed (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A night-time temple courtyard in Dvārakā: devotees singing with cymbals and drum, oil lamps glowing, a reader holding a palm-leaf manuscript of Bhāgavata/Rāmāyaṇa; garlands of mālatī offered at the shrine; the sea breeze moves the lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Bhāgavata (Bhāgavata Purāṇa)
• Rāmāyaṇa
• Dvārakā
• Jāgara (night vigil)
• Mālatī (jasmine)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural listening/reading and bhakti practices—especially kīrtana and night-vigil—are held as dearly pleasing and merit-giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is directly proclaimed as puṇya (sanctifying and merit-bestowing).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing gīta (devotional singing) and jāgara (religious vigil) is praised as especially beloved devotional observance.