Jāgaraṇa: Meaning in Sanskrit and the Purāṇas

Jāgaraṇa, “keeping awake through the night”

Grammar: neuter noun, from the root jāgṛ (to be awake): “the keeping awake”.

Meaning: the night vigil of a rite or vrata, spent awake with the hearing of the Purāṇas, stotras, Veda recitation, song and kīrtana.

In the scriptures: the Agni Purāṇa names the vigil in several rites.

In the adhivāsana of the pavitrakas: after the pavitrakas are consecrated on the evening before the rite, the night is kept in jāgaraṇa with the hearing of the Purāṇas, the recitation of stotras and the like (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 35).
In the adhivāsa of a mūrti: Hayagrīva teaches Brahmā that after the dakshiṇā of gold and a cow to the ācārya, for the satisfaction of the twelve Ādityas, the lords of the months, and the bali to the dikpālas, the night is spent in jāgaraṇa with the recitation of the Vedas, songs and kīrtana. One who completes the adhivāsana in this way obtains all the fruits (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 59).
In the Śravaṇa Dvādaśī: in this vrata of the śukla paksha of Bhādrapada, after offering Bhagavān Vāmana naivedya cooked in ghee and a vessel full of curd and water, the devotee keeps jāgaraṇa at night, and at dawn bathes at the confluence and offers pushpāñjali to Govinda (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 189).
On a saṅkrānti: among the saṅkrānti vratas, one who keeps jāgaraṇa on a saṅkrānti gains svarga (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 199).

Related terms: Vrata · Adhivāsana · Kīrtana · Śravaṇa Dvādaśī · Saṅkrānti

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