Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

कृच्छ्रचांद्रायणादीनि पाराकाणि शनैःशनैः । कुर्वता तेन ते देवाः संनीता भयगोचरम्

Transliteration

kṛcchracāṃdrāyaṇādīni pārākāṇi śanaiḥśanaiḥ | kurvatā tena te devāḥ saṃnītā bhayagocaram

Translation

Tandis qu’il accomplissait peu à peu des vœux sévères tels que le Kṛcchra et le Cāndrāyaṇa, ainsi que d’autres observances difficiles, les dieux furent poussés dans le domaine de la crainte.

Word by Word

• कृच्छ्रचांद्रायणादीनि: Kṛcchra, Cāndrāyaṇa and other (vows)
• कृच्छ्रचांद्रायणादीनि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र + चांद्रायण + आदि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• पाराकाणि: Pārāka (austerities)
• पाराकाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाराक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• शनैः: slowly
• शनैः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनैः (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक अव्यय (adverb: slowly)

• शनैः: gradually
• शनैः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनैः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति (reduplication for emphasis)

• कुर्वता: by (him) doing/performing
• कुर्वता: Karta (Agent in instrumental/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकर्तरि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• संनीताः: were brought/led (into)
• संनीताः: Kriya (Result state)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + नी (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (देवाः)

• भयगोचरम्: the range/state of fear
• भयगोचरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय + गोचर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; गत्यर्थे कर्म (गोचरं प्राप्ताः)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice; contextually Sūta-like narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Montage-like depiction of the sage’s escalating observances: sparse meals aligned to lunar phases (cāndrāyaṇa), severe fasting (parāka), and kṛcchra discipline; above, devas gather anxiously, sensing rising heat/energy from the ascetic.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Kṛcchra-vrata
• Cāndrāyaṇa-vrata
• Pārāka (austere fast)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady, disciplined vrata and tapas generate immense spiritual power, shaking even celestial complacency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider episode is set at Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, where austerities become especially potent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of Kṛcchra, Cāndrāyaṇa, and other severe fasts/observances (pārāka-type).