Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

एकरात्रैस्त्रिरात्रैश्च षड्द्वादशभिरेव च । पक्षमासोपवासैश्च कर्शयन्ति कलेवरम्

Transliteration

ekarātraistrirātraiśca ṣaḍdvādaśabhireva ca | pakṣamāsopavāsaiśca karśayanti kalevaram

Translation

Par des jeûnes d’une nuit, de trois nuits, de six et de douze, ainsi que par des jeûnes de quinzaine et de mois, ils amaigrissent le corps dans l’ascèse.

Word by Word

• एकरात्रैः: by one-night (fasts)
• एकरात्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka + rātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (एकः रात्रः यस्य/एकरात्रः)

• त्रिरात्रैः: by three-night (fasts)
• त्रिरात्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri + rātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रयः रात्रयः)

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

• षट्: six
• षट्: Visheshana (Numeral qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्दः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• द्वादशभिः: by twelves (twelve-day periods)
• द्वादशभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvādaśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; संख्याशब्दः (twelve)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चय/अवधारण particle)

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

• पक्षमासोपवासैः: by fortnight- and month-long fasts
• पक्षमासोपवासैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakṣa + māsa + upavāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समाहार/निर्देशार्थ बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (पक्षस्य/मासस्य उपवासाः)

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

• कर्शयन्ति: they emaciate, make thin
• कर्शयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• कलेवरम्: the body
• कलेवरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalevara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (describing austerity practices associated with Narmadā-tīra tapas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence-like depiction of austerity: the devotee counting days, taking only water or minimal sustenance, body growing lean, yet face calm and luminous by resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Upavāsa (fasting)
• Narmadā context (from prior verse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity disciplines desire and purifies intention; bodily restraint supports inner steadiness and dharmic resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The immediate context is the Narmadā riverbank, presented as a fitting setting for vrata and tapas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Fasting vows of specified durations—one-night, three-night, six, twelve, fortnight-long, and month-long upavāsas.