Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

कृत्वा मासोपवासानि स्खलंति ब्रह्मचर्यतः । सकृदेव द्विकृत्वो वा त्रिःकृत्वो दैवयोगतः

Transliteration

kṛtvā māsopavāsāni skhalaṃti brahmacaryataḥ | sakṛdeva dvikṛtvo vā triḥkṛtvo daivayogataḥ

Translation

Même après avoir gardé des jeûnes d’un mois, il peut leur arriver de faillir au vœu de brahmacarya—une fois, deux fois, voire trois—sous l’emprise du destin (daiva).

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययीभावप्रायः; धातु: कृ; अर्थे: पूर्वकर्म (having done)

• मास: month
• मास: Samasa-purvapada (Compound member/समासपूर्वपद)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (stem) used in compound; (month)

• उपवासानि: fasts
• उपवासानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; (fasts)

• मासोपवासानि: monthly fasts
• मासोपवासानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक) + उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध: मासस्य उपवासाः = monthly fasts); मुख्यपद: उपवासानि; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• स्खलन्ति: they falter
• स्खलन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्खल् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; धातु: स्खल् (to slip/falter)

• ब्रह्मचर्यतः: from (their) celibacy / in celibacy
• ब्रह्मचर्यतः: Apadana/Hetu (Source/Cause/अपादान-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverbial sense: -तः = from/with respect to)

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, संख्यावाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (once)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निश्चय/अवधारण (emphasis)

• द्विकृत्वः: twice
• द्विकृत्वः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत्वस्/कृत्वः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (द्वि + कृत्वः); अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (twice)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्पार्थक निपात (or)

• त्रिःकृत्वः: thrice
• त्रिःकृत्वः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिस्/त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत्वस्/कृत्वः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (त्रिः + कृत्वः); अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (thrice)

• दैवयोगतः: due to fate/accidentally
• दैवयोगतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक) + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दैवस्य योगः = chance/act of fate); पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (-तः = due to/from)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A penitent ascetic or householder-votary after month-long fasting, shown in inner turmoil as the force of fate and desire approaches; Kāśī’s ghāṭs and Śiva’s presence loom as moral witness.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmacarya
• Daiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerities like fasting are powerful, yet human vows can falter; dharma requires humility, vigilance, and renewed resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader discourse belongs to the Kāśī-khaṇḍa (Varanasi/Kashi), though this verse emphasizes vrata-dharma rather than naming a specific tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Month-long fasting (māsa-upavāsa) and the observance of brahmacarya (continence) are referenced.