Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मचर्यपरो भूत्वा शुचिर्व्रतपरायणः । नियतो नियताहारस्त्रिकालं स्नानमाचरन्

Transliteration

brahmacaryaparo bhūtvā śucirvrataparāyaṇaḥ | niyato niyatāhārastrikālaṃ snānamācaran

Translation

S’adonnant à la discipline du brahmacarya, pur et entièrement voué à son vœu, maître de lui et au régime réglé, il accomplissait le bain rituel trois fois par jour.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मचर्यपरः: devoted to celibacy
• ब्रह्मचर्यपरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मचर्यस्य परः)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• व्रतपरायणः: intent on vows
• व्रतपरायणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (व्रतस्य परायणः)

• नियतः: disciplined
• नियतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नियताहारः: with regulated diet
• नियताहारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियत (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (नियतः आहारः यस्य)

• त्रिकालम्: thrice daily
• त्रिकालम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रि (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (adverbial: ‘three times a day’)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आचरन्: practising/performing
• आचरन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√चर् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vow-observing king stands at a tīrtha-bank at the three sandhyās, body purified, simple garments, controlled diet implied by sparse offerings; attendants hold water-pot and towel; the atmosphere is austere and luminous.

Characters & Entities

• Vrata (vow)
• Brahmacarya (discipline)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-worship is strengthened by personal discipline—purity, restraint, and steadfast observance of vows.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The practices are undertaken within the same praised kṣetra (Hāṭakeśvara–Caṇḍikā context) as part of its māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Brahmacarya, regulated diet, and trikāla-snānā (bathing three times daily) as part of the vrata.