Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

एकेनैवोपवासेन भावहीनास्तु मानवाः । निर्द्दग्धाऽखिलपापास्ते प्रयांति स्वर्गकाननम्

Transliteration

ekenaivopavāsena bhāvahīnāstu mānavāḥ | nirddagdhā'khilapāpāste prayāṃti svargakānanam

Translation

Même par un seul jeûne, les humains—fussent-ils dépourvus d’une profonde ferveur—voient tous leurs péchés consumés et gagnent les bosquets du ciel.

Word by Word

• एकेन: by one
• एकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् of उपवासेन

• एव: only/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• उपवासेन: by fasting
• उपवासेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; Instrumental

• भावहीनाः: devoid of devotion
• भावहीनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भाव + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—'भावेन हीनाः' (devoid of devotion/feeling)

• तु: however/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• मानवाः: people/humans
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; Subject

• निर्दग्धाः: burnt away
• निर्दग्धाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + दह् (धातु) → निर्दग्ध (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; predicate adjective of ते—'burnt up'

• अखिलपापाः: (their) all sins
• अखिलपापाः: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः—'अखिलानि पापानि (येषां)' (having all sins) used with निर्दग्धाः: 'all sins (of theirs) are burnt'

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

• प्रयान्ति: go/attain
• प्रयान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• स्वर्गकाननम्: the heavenly grove
• स्वर्गकाननम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग + कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—'स्वर्गस्य काननम्' (garden of heaven)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Dvārakā Māhātmya (contextual Purāṇic instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/ṛṣis seeking phala-śruti

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee fasting with a calm face, seated near a shrine; flames of purification symbolically consume dark ‘pāpa’ forms, while a celestial grove (svarga-kānana) appears in the background with gandharvas and flowering trees.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic grace is emphasized: even a simple act like one fast can become transformative, consuming sins and leading toward higher realms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching sits within Dvārakā Māhātmya, implying that observances connected to Hari in Dvārakā carry extraordinary purificatory power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa—fasting (as a vrata-aṅga), presented here as effective even when performed with limited inner bhāva.