Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

उपवासैकभक्तेन तथैवायाचितेन च । गृहीतनियमा देवि ये जपंति च चंडिकाम्

Transliteration

upavāsaikabhaktena tathaivāyācitena ca | gṛhītaniyamā devi ye japaṃti ca caṃḍikām

Translation

Wahai Dewi, mereka yang melantunkan japa Caṇḍikā sambil memegang tapa-niyama—berpuasa, makan sekali sahaja, dan hidup dari sedekah yang tidak diminta (yang datang dengan sendirinya)—

Word by Word

• upavāsaikabhaktena: by fasting with one-meal observance
• upavāsaikabhaktena: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upavāsa + eka + bhakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (instrumental sense; here treated as Masculine), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; Samāsa: upavāsaḥ evaika-bhaktaḥ (with fasting and single-meal observance)

• tathā: thus/likewise
• tathā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa-avyaya (adverb)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avadhāraṇa-avyaya (emphatic particle)

• ayācitena: by (food) not begged for / unsolicited
• ayācitena: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ayācita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (as bhāva/vrata), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; from a- + yācita (unsolicited)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-avyaya (conjunction)

• gṛhīta-niyamāḥ: those who have undertaken restraints
• gṛhīta-niyamāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gṛhīta (√grah, क्त-प्रत्यय) + niyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Bahuvrīhi-like adjectival usage but structurally tatpuruṣa; Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; kta-participle gṛhīta = 'undertaken/accepted' qualifying niyamāḥ

• devi: O देवी
• devi: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular

• ye: who (those who)
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Relative pronoun; Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• japanti: recite/mutter
• japanti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jap (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Plural

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-avyaya (conjunction)

• caṇḍikām: Caṇḍikā (the Goddess)
• caṇḍikām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caṇḍikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa Māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined devotee in simple attire sits near a shrine/ghāṭa, rosary in hand, with a modest single-meal offering nearby; a bowl received without asking symbolizes ayācita; Devī’s presence is subtle, blessing the vow.

Characters & Entities

• Caṇḍikā
• Vrata (niyama)
• Upavāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra-japa becomes especially powerful when supported by restraint, simplicity, and disciplined living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where this Caṇḍikā-related vrata discipline is taught as meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (fasting), ekabhakta (single daily meal), ayācita (not begging—accepting only what comes unasked), along with niyama while performing Caṇḍikā-japa.