Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

प्रायोपवेशनं यो च चित्रेश्वरनिवेशने । कुर्वन्ति नरकं नैव ते गच्छंति कदाचन

Transliteration

prāyopaveśanaṃ yo ca citreśvaraniveśane | kurvanti narakaṃ naiva te gacchaṃti kadācana

Translation

Wer in der Wohnstätte des Citreśvara das prāyopaveśana vollzieht, geht niemals, zu keiner Zeit, in die Hölle.

Word by Word

• प्रायोपवेशनम्: fasting unto death
• प्रायोपवेशनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राय-उपवेशन (प्रातिपदिक; प्राय + उपवेशन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• चित्रेश्वरनिवेशने: in the abode/temple of Cিত্রेश्वर
• चित्रेश्वरनिवेशने: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रेश्वर-निवेशन (प्रातिपदिक; चित्रेश्वर + निवेशन्/निवेशन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (चित्रेश्वरस्य निवेशने)

• कुर्वन्ति: do / perform
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation to verb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• एव: indeed / at all
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• गच्छन्ति: go
• गच्छन्ति: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• कदाचन: ever / at any time
• कदाचन: Kālādhi-kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Bhīṣma

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Citreśvara-niveśana

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stone Śiva-liṅga named Citreśvara in a sanctum; outside, a vowed ascetic undertakes prāyopaveśana on kuśa grass, facing the liṅga; attendants maintain lamps; a protective aura surrounds the shrine, with hellish darkness barred at the threshold.

Characters & Entities

• Citreśvara
• Prāyopaveśana
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Combining a rigorous vow with a sanctified sacred setting (deva-sthāna) is presented as exceptionally salvific.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Citreśvara-niveśana—the abode/seat of Citreśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing prāyopaveśana specifically at Citreśvara’s abode.