Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

कृतोपवासनियमो रात्रौ जागरणेन च । दीपमालां चतुर्दिक्षु पूजां कृत्वा तु शक्तितः

Transliteration

kṛtopavāsaniyamo rātrau jāgaraṇena ca | dīpamālāṃ caturdikṣu pūjāṃ kṛtvā tu śaktitaḥ

Translation

Nachdem man die Zucht des Fastens und das nächtliche Wachen auf sich genommen hat, soll man in den vier Himmelsrichtungen Reihen von Lichtern aufstellen und die Pūjā nach eigener Kraft vollziehen.

Word by Word

• कृत: done/undertaken
• कृत: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘नियमः’ इति विशेषण

• उपवास: fasting
• उपवास: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• नियमः: vow/observance
• नियमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘कृत-उपवास-नियमः’ इति बहुपद-सम्बन्ध (undertaken vow of fasting)

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (वैदिक/प्रयोगविशेष रूप)

• जागरणेन: by keeping vigil
• जागरणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करणवाचक

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

• दीपमालाम्: a garland/row of lamps
• दीपमालाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप+माला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दीपानां माला), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• चतुर्दिक्षु: in the four directions
• चतुर्दिक्षु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्+दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (चतस्रः दिशः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन

• पूजाम्: worship
• पूजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having done)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• शक्तितः: according to one’s ability
• शक्तितः: Adverbial (Kriya-visheshana)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb), ‘शक्त्या अनुसारम्’

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from Adhyāya context; later verse says “śivabhāṣitam”)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (unspecified node)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night at a riverbank shrine: devotee fasting, seated in vigil; four directional lamp rows forming a luminous cross around the sanctum/altar; priests or family members offering flowers and incense; stars reflected in the river.

Characters & Entities

• Upavāsa
• Jāgaraṇa
• Dīpamālā
• Pūjā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-restraint (fasting) and sustained devotion (vigil and lamps) are presented as powerful offerings that sanctify the worshipper.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ritual is framed within the Māṇḍaveśvara/Māṇḍavya-Nārāyaṇa kṣetra context of Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (fasting), rātri-jāgaraṇa (night vigil), dīpamālā in four directions, and pūjā according to one’s means.