Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

नियतो नियताहारः स्नान ।जाप्यपरायणः । व्रतोपवासनिरतः स तीर्थफलमश्नुते

Transliteration

niyato niyatāhāraḥ snāna |jāpyaparāyaṇaḥ | vratopavāsanirataḥ sa tīrthaphalamaśnute

Translation

自制して節度ある食を守り、沐浴の浄めとジャパ（真言誦持）に専心し、誓戒と断食に励む者は、ティールタ巡礼の果報を得る。

Word by Word

• niyataḥ: disciplined
• niyataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niyata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; नि-√yam धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (of saḥ)

• niyata-āhāraḥ: one with regulated diet
• niyata-āhāraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niyata (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + āhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (descriptive: ‘niyataḥ āhāraḥ yasya’/or ‘niyata-āhāraḥ’), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (of saḥ)

• snāna-jāpya-parāyaṇaḥ: devoted to bathing and recitation
• snāna-jāpya-parāyaṇaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक) + jāpya (प्रातिपदिक) + parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative: snāne jāpye ca parāyaṇaḥ/‘devoted to bathing and recitation’), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (of saḥ)

• vrata-upavāsa-nirataḥ: engaged in vows and fasting
• vrata-upavāsa-nirataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक) + upavāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + nirata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; नि-√ram/√rañ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (locative/oblique sense: ‘vrate upavāse ca nirataḥ’), भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (of saḥ)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• tīrtha-phalam: fruit of pilgrimage
• tīrtha-phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (tīrthasya phalam), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• aśnute: attains/enjoys
• aśnute: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √aś (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from continuing list of pilgrimage qualifications)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Morning at a tīrtha: pilgrim bathing, then seated for japa with mālā; later observing a fast with a small water pot; a vow-mark (tilaka/ash) and calm discipline pervade the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Snāna
• Japa
• Vrata
• Upavāsa
• Tīrtha-phala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage bears full fruit when supported by disciplined living—moderate diet, purity practices, mantra-recitation, and vowed restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, shaping the sādhana expected of pilgrims to Prabhāsa–Someśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Niyamita āhāra (regulated diet), snāna (ritual bathing), japa, and observance of vrata and upavāsa.