Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

चतुर्दश्यां निराहारः स्थितो भूत्वा शुचिव्रतः । पूजयेत्परया भक्त्या रात्रौ जागरणे शिवम्

Transliteration

caturdaśyāṃ nirāhāraḥ sthito bhūtvā śucivrataḥ | pūjayetparayā bhaktyā rātrau jāgaraṇe śivam

Translation

Am vierzehnten Mondtag, ohne Speise fastend, standhaft und ein Gelübde der Reinheit wahrend, soll man Śiva mit höchster Hingabe verehren und die Nacht hindurch wachen.

Word by Word

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक (time-locative)

• निराहारः: fasting (without food)
• निराहारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निराहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—निः आहारः यस्य (नञ्/अव्ययीभाव-प्राय; व्यवहारतः बहुव्रीहि-भाव)

• स्थितः: standing/remaining
• स्थितः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya (Adverbial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having become)

• शुचिव्रतः: one of pure vow
• शुचिव्रतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचिव्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—शुचि व्रतम् यस्य/शुचि-व्रत (कर्मधारय/बहुव्रीहि-भाव)

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• परया: with supreme
• परया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• भक्त्या: devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करणवाचक

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; कालवाचक (time-locative)

• जागरणे: during the vigil
• जागरणे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अवस्थावाचक (in the vigil)

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Māṇḍaveśvara / Māṇḍavya-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night-time temple vigil at Māṇḍaveśvara: devotees seated with lamps, chanting before a Shiva-linga; some stand in prayer, others offer bilva; moonlit caturdaśī sky; atmosphere of wakeful devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Caturdaśī
• Śiva
• Jāgaraṇa (night vigil)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Discipline (fasting and purity) joined to devotion (bhakti) culminates in direct Śiva-worship, especially during sacred nights.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing context is the Devakhāta/Māṇḍaveśvara tīrtha, where such observances are said to yield heightened merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Caturdaśī upavāsa (nirāhāra fasting), śuci-vrata (purity vow), and night-long jāgaraṇa with Śiva-pūjā.