Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

अत्रिरुवाच । तपस्तप्तं मया भद्रे जातमात्रेण दुष्करम् । व्रतोपवासनियमैः शाकाहारेण सुन्दरि

Transliteration

atriruvāca | tapastaptaṃ mayā bhadre jātamātreṇa duṣkaram | vratopavāsaniyamaiḥ śākāhāreṇa sundari

Translation

Atri dit : «Ô bienheureuse, dès l’origine j’ai accompli une austérité (tapas) ardue, vraiment difficile, par des vœux, des jeûnes, des observances et une nourriture d’herbes et de verdures, ô belle».

Word by Word

• अत्रिः: Atri
• अत्रिः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अत्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd); एकवचन

• तप्तम्: performed, undergone
• तप्तम्: Visheshana (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकाले कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; (qualifying तपः)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भद्रे: O auspicious lady
• भद्रे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative); एकवचन

• जातमात्रेण: from the moment of birth / as soon as born
• जातमात्रेण: Karana (Circumstance/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जात (कृदन्त, क्त; √जन्) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष: जातं मात्रम् = just born; instrumental of circumstance)

• दुष्करम्: difficult
• दुष्करम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुस् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (नञ्/उपसर्गपूर्वक: difficult-to-do)

• व्रत: vows
• व्रत: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); बहुवचन (समासान्तर्गत-समुच्चयार्थ)

• उपवास: fasts
• उपवास: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); बहुवचन (समासान्तर्गत-समुच्चयार्थ)

• नियमैः: disciplines, observances
• नियमैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); बहुवचन

• शाकाहारेण: by a diet of vegetables
• शाकाहारेण: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: शाकस्य आहारः)

• सुन्दरि: O beautiful one
• सुन्दरि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुन्दरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative); एकवचन

Speaker

Atri

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Anasūyā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Atri, lean and radiant from austerity, speaks to Anasūyā; around him are signs of discipline—kuśa seat, kamaṇḍalu, simple greens/herbs—suggesting śākāhāra and vrata life.

Characters & Entities

• Atri
• Anasūyā (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual goals are traditionally pursued through sustained tapas—vows, fasting, disciplined living, and regulated diet—done with perseverance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears; the verse is autobiographical within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vrata (vows), upavāsa (fasting), niyama (disciplined observances), and śākāhāra (simple vegetarian/herbal diet) are mentioned as austerities.