Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

दुर्वासा उवाच । नभस्ये चासिते पक्षे तृतीयादिवसे स्थिते । प्रातरुत्थाय पश्चाच्च भक्षयेद्दंतधावनम्

Transliteration

durvāsā uvāca | nabhasye cāsite pakṣe tṛtīyādivase sthite | prātarutthāya paścācca bhakṣayeddaṃtadhāvanam

Translation

Durvāsā sprach: „Im Monat Nabhasya, in der dunklen Monatshälfte, wenn der dritte Mondtag eintritt—stehe am Morgen auf und nimm danach nur das Zahnreinigungsstäbchen bzw. die Zahnreinigungspaste als einzige Aufnahme zu dir.“

Word by Word

• दुर्वासा: Durvāsā
• दुर्वासा: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• नभस्ये: in the month of Nabhas (Bhādrapada)
• नभस्ये: Adhikarana (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• असिते: dark (krishna)
• असिते: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying)

• पक्षे: in the fortnight
• पक्षे: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तृतीयादिवसे: on the third day
• तृतीयादिवसे: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृतीया (प्रातिपदिक) + दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); तृतीयायाः दिवसः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive tatpurusha)

• स्थिते: when it has arrived/when it is set
• स्थिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute) प्रयोगः; भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• प्रातर्: in the morning
• प्रातर्: Kala (Time adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रातर् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• उत्थाय: having risen
• उत्थाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kala (Sequence adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: afterwards)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• भक्षयेत्: should eat/consume
• भक्षयेत्: Kriya (Injunction)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• दन्तधावनम्: tooth-cleaning (twig/powder)
• दन्तधावनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + धावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); दन्तानां धावनम् इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

Speaker

Durvāsā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dawn scene: an ascetic authority (Durvāsā) instructs a devotee; the devotee rises, performs dantadhāvana, and prepares for a strict fast on kṛṣṇa-tṛtīyā.

Characters & Entities

• Durvāsā
• Nabhasya (Bhādrapada)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic vows are time-bound and discipline-based; bodily restraint and precise timing are taught as supports for spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse gives calendrical and disciplinary instructions; it does not name a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Begin the observance in Nabhasya (Bhādrapada), dark fortnight, on tṛtīyā; rise early and adhere to a strict intake rule connected with dantadhāvana (tooth-cleaning).