Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

सौवर्णं राजतं वापि यताशक्त्या प्रकल्पयेत् । श्रवणेन तु संयुक्तां द्वादशीं पापनाशिनीम् । व्रती उपवसेद्यत्नात्सर्वदोषप्रशांतये

Transliteration

sauvarṇaṃ rājataṃ vāpi yatāśaktyā prakalpayet | śravaṇena tu saṃyuktāṃ dvādaśīṃ pāpanāśinīm | vratī upavasedyatnātsarvadoṣapraśāṃtaye

Translation

Nach Maß der eigenen Kraft richte man ein Gefäß oder eine Gabe aus Gold oder auch aus Silber her. Und am sündentilgenden Dvādaśī, verbunden mit dem Nakṣatra Śravaṇa, soll der Gelübdehaltende sorgfältig fasten, um alle Makel zu besänftigen.

Word by Word

• सौवर्णम्: golden (one)
• सौवर्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + अण् (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तद्धित-निर्मित विशेषण (made of gold)

• राजतम्: silver (one)
• राजतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रजत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (made of silver)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive: or)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: also/even)

• यथाशक्त्या: according to one’s capacity
• यथाशक्त्या: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययीभूत (according to ability)

• प्रकल्पयेत्: should prepare/arrange
• प्रकल्पयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• श्रवणेन: with Śravaṇa (nakṣatra)/by hearing
• श्रवणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• संयुक्ताम्: associated (with)
• संयुक्ताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + √युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (joined/associated)

• द्वादशीम्: the Dvādaśī (tithi)
• द्वादशीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• पापनाशिनीम्: destroyer of sins
• पापनाशिनीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + नाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (pāpānāṃ nāśinī)

• व्रती: the vow-observer
• व्रती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रतिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• उपवसेत्: should fast
• उपवसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + √वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यत्नात्: diligently
• यत्नात्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययीभूत (ablatival adverb: from effort = diligently)

• सर्वदोषप्रशान्तये: for the pacification of all faults
• सर्वदोषप्रशान्तये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + दोष + प्रशान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (sarveṣāṃ doṣāṇāṃ praśāntiḥ)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (vrata context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A votary before a kalaśa/altar presenting a small gold or silver vessel; an astral chart motif shows Śravaṇa nakṣatra; the atmosphere is austere due to fasting.

Characters & Entities

• Śravaṇa (Nakṣatra)
• Dvādaśī
• Upavāsa
• Gold
• Silver

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere practice matched to one’s means (yathāśakti) and disciplined fasting are praised as powerful purifiers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra sacred landscape is the setting, but this verse focuses on calendrical sanctity (Dvādaśī with Śravaṇa) rather than a named spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prepare a golden or silver ritual item as able; fast carefully on Dvādaśī when it coincides with Śravaṇa nakṣatra.