Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

ततः कृच्छ्रव्रतं चक्रे ततः सांतपनं च सा । षष्ठान्नकालभोज्या च सा चाभूद्वत्सरत्रयम्

Transliteration

tataḥ kṛcchravrataṃ cakre tataḥ sāṃtapanaṃ ca sā | ṣaṣṭhānnakālabhojyā ca sā cābhūdvatsaratrayam

Translation

Puis elle entreprit le vœu de Kṛcchra, et ensuite le vœu de Sāṃtapana. Elle vécut aussi trois années en ne prenant nourriture qu’au moment du sixième repas, avec une rigueur extrême.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal adverbial/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणम्/सम्बन्धबोधकः) = ‘तस्मात्/तदनन्तरम्’ (thereafter)

• कृच्छ्रव्रतम्: the kṛcchra vow
• कृच्छ्रव्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛcchra (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कृच्छ्रं नाम व्रतम्)

• चक्रे: performed
• चक्रे: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदम्

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal adverbial/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणम्) = ‘तदनन्तरम्’

• सांतपनम्: the sāṃtapana (penance/vow)
• सांतपनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāṃtapana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-निपातः) = ‘and’

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• षष्ठान्नकालभोज्या: one who ate at the sixth meal-time
• षष्ठान्नकालभोज्या: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival to ‘सा’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक) + anna (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + bhojya (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता-विशेषण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठे अन्नकाले भोज्या = ‘to be eaten at the sixth meal-time’)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक)

• अभूत्: became/was
• अभूत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (अद्यतनभूत/Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• वत्सरत्रयम्: for three years
• वत्सरत्रयम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Duration/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vatsara (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कालपरिमाण-उपपद), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगुः (त्रयो वत्सराः)

Speaker

Sūta (narrative continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devoted woman performing severe vows: sparse meal at prescribed time, simple garments, prayerful posture near a sacred water-body; attendants or sages observing her discipline.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛcchra
• Sāṃtapana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady, escalating austerities—undertaken over years—are portrayed as a path of purification and spiritual power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the tīrtha-context narrative but focuses on the vows rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kṛcchra-vrata, Sāṃtapana-vrata, and a prolonged regimen of highly restricted eating.