Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

उपवासपरो भूत्वा यश्चैनां पूजयिष्यति । आश्विनस्यासिते पक्षे चतुर्दश्यां विशेषतः

Transliteration

upavāsaparo bhūtvā yaścaināṃ pūjayiṣyati | āśvinasyāsite pakṣe caturdaśyāṃ viśeṣataḥ

Translation

ಉಪವಾಸನಿಷ್ಠನಾಗಿ ಈ ದೇವಿಯನ್ನು ಪೂಜಿಸುವವನು—ವಿಶೇಷವಾಗಿ ಆಶ್ವಿನ ಮಾಸದ ಕೃಷ್ಣಪಕ್ಷದ ಚತುರ್ದಶಿಯಂದು—ವಿಶೇಷ ಪುಣ್ಯವನ್ನು ಪಡೆಯುವನು।

Word by Word

• उपवासपरः: devoted to fasting
• उपवासपरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपवास-पर (प्रातिपदिक; उपवास + पर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘उपवासे परः’ (fasting-devoted)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having become’

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• एनाम्: her/this (goddess)
• एनाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम—‘this (her)’

• पूजयिष्यति: will worship
• पूजयिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• आश्विनस्य: of (the month) Āśvina
• आश्विनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्विन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; मास-नाम

• असिते: in the dark (fortnight)
• असिते: Adhikarana (Location/Time locus अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण—पक्षे इति विशेष्ये

• पक्षे: in the fortnight
• पक्षे: Adhikarana (Location/Time locus अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तिथि-नाम

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय; विशेष)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in simple attire, observing upavāsa, offers flowers, lamp, and water before a sanctified shrine; the lunar night of kṛṣṇa-caturdaśī is suggested by a thin waning moon and deep-blue sky.

Characters & Entities

• Āśvina (month)
• Caturdaśī (tithi)
• Lohayaṣṭi (iron staff)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time, discipline, and devotion intensify merit—fasting and worship on an auspicious tithi is praised as especially potent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ritual is presented within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya framework; the verse highlights calendrical sanctity rather than a named location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (fasting) combined with pūjā, particularly on Āśvina kṛṣṇa-pakṣa caturdaśī.