Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

त्रिरात्रोपोषणं पश्चाद्यावद्वर्षत्रयं तथा । एकान्तरोपवासैश्च साऽनयद्वत्सरत्रयम्

Transliteration

trirātropoṣaṇaṃ paścādyāvadvarṣatrayaṃ tathā | ekāntaropavāsaiśca sā'nayadvatsaratrayam

Translation

Ensuite, elle observa des jeûnes de trois nuits, et poursuivit ainsi durant trois ans ; et, jeûnant aussi un jour sur deux, elle traversa encore une autre période de trois ans.

Word by Word

• त्रिरात्रोपोषणम्: three-night fast
• त्रिरात्रोपोषणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + rātra (प्रातिपदिक) + upoṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (त्रिरात्रे उपोषणम् = ‘fasting for three nights’)

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal adverbial/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paścāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम्) = ‘afterwards’

• यावत्: up to
• यावत्: Avadhi (Limit/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (परिमाण/अवधि-बोधकः) = ‘as long as / up to’

• वर्षत्रयम्: three years
• वर्षत्रयम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Duration/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कालपरिमाण), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगुः (त्रीणि वर्षाणि)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Prakāra (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (रीतिवाचक/समुच्चयार्थ) = ‘thus/likewise’

• एकान्तरोपवासैः: by alternate-day fasts
• एकान्तरोपवासैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + antara (प्रातिपदिक) + upavāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (एकान्तरः उपवासः = ‘fasting on alternate days’)

• 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 (कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अनयत्: spent/continued
• अनयत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nī (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

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

Speaker

Sūta (narrative continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A votary marking time through repeated fast-cycles: moon phases or seasonal cues in the background; she sits with japa-mālā, a water pot nearby, calm but firm expression.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text praises sustained, methodical self-restraint over long durations as a hallmark of serious spiritual striving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The fasting is set within a tīrtha narrative frame, but this verse itself does not identify a named location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Trirātra (three-night) fasting and ekāntara (alternate-day) upavāsa.