Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69
चतुरः प्रातरश्नीयात्पिंडान्विप्रः समाहितः । चतुरोस्तमिते सूर्ये शिशुचांद्रायणं स्मृतम्
caturaḥ prātaraśnīyātpiṃḍānvipraḥ samāhitaḥ | caturostamite sūrye śiśucāṃdrāyaṇaṃ smṛtam
Un brāhmane discipliné, l’esprit recueilli, doit prendre quatre bouchées le matin et quatre lorsque le soleil s’est couché. Cette observance est connue comme le « Śiśu-Cāndrāyaṇa », la forme “enfant” du vœu Cāndrāyaṇa.
Skanda
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: A disciplined brāhmaṇa in Kāśī sits facing east at dawn, taking four small morsels; at sunset he repeats the measured meal, with Ganga and ghāṭa silhouettes behind.
FAQs
Self-restraint in eating, aligned with sacred times (morning and sunset), becomes a recognized vrata that supports inner steadiness and merit.
The broader context is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśī Khaṇḍa, where disciplined observances are praised as especially fruitful.
Eat four morsels in the morning and four at sunset—this is defined as the Śiśu-Cāndrāyaṇa vow.