Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

उपवासं च यः कृत्वा विप्रान्संतर्पयेन्नरः । सौत्रामणेश्च यज्ञस्य फलमाप्नोति मानवः

Transliteration

upavāsaṃ ca yaḥ kṛtvā viprānsaṃtarpayennaraḥ | sautrāmaṇeśca yajñasya phalamāpnoti mānavaḥ

Translation

Wer ein Fasten vollzieht und danach die Brahmanen sättigt (speist), erlangt die Frucht des Sautrāmaṇī-Opfers.

Word by Word

• उपवासम्: fasting
• उपवासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (masc. acc. sg.)

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

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (relative pronoun masc. nom. sg.)

• कृत्वा: having done/observed
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• विप्रान्: Brahmins
• विप्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन (masc. acc. pl.)

• संतर्पयेत्: should satisfy/feed
• संतर्पयेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√तृप् (धातु) caus. (णिच्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (optative, 3rd sg., Parasmaipada)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• सौत्रामणेश्: of the Sautrāmaṇi (sacrifice)
• सौत्रामणेश्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौत्रामणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (masc. gen. sg.)

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

• यज्ञस्य: of the sacrifice
• यज्ञस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (masc. gen. sg.)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.)

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (present, 3rd sg., Parasmaipada)

• मानवः: a human
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; Ayodhyāmāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tilodakī–Sarayū Saṅgama (contextual)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee, having fasted, offers a respectful meal to seated brāhmaṇas; ritual vessels, kusa grass, and water for ācamana are arranged; a faint sacrificial altar motif appears, signifying Sautrāmaṇī equivalence.

Characters & Entities

• Upavāsa (fasting)
• Vipras (Brāhmaṇas)
• Sautrāmaṇī Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-discipline joined with service to the learned transforms simple acts into great sacrificial merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Ayodhyā tīrtha setting (especially the Tilodakī–Sarayū saṅgama context), the verse highlights vrata and hospitality.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (fasting) followed by vipra-santarpana (feeding/satiating Brāhmaṇas).