Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

वैष्णवज्ञानमासाद्य केचिच्छैवं व्रतं तथा । एकरात्रं द्विरात्रं च केचित्षष्ठाहभोजनाः

Transliteration

vaiṣṇavajñānamāsādya kecicchaivaṃ vrataṃ tathā | ekarātraṃ dvirātraṃ ca kecitṣaṣṭhāhabhojanāḥ

Translation

ചിലർ വൈഷ്ണവജ്ഞാനം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു; ചിലർ അതുപോലെ ശൈവവ്രതം അനുഷ്ഠിക്കുന്നു. ചിലർ ഒരു രാത്രി, ചിലർ രണ്ട് രാത്രി ഉപവസിക്കുന്നു; മറ്റുചിലർ ആറാം ദിവസം മാത്രമേ ഭക്ഷണം കഴിക്കൂ.

Word by Word

• वैष्णवज्ञानम्: Vaiṣṇava knowledge
• वैष्णवज्ञानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैष्णव + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आसाद्य: having attained
• आसाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + सद् (धातु) → आसाद्य (ल्यप्-कृदन्त/अव्ययीभावार्थ)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्-अव्यय — Gerund (having attained)

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — ‘some’, Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शैवम्: Śaiva
• शैवम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular (व्रतम् इति विशेषण)

• व्रतम्: vow, observance
• व्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकार/समुच्चय) — Indeclinable adverb/particle (likewise/also)

• एकरात्रम्: one night (fast/observance)
• एकरात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + रात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular (कालपरिमाण)

• द्विरात्रम्: two nights
• द्विरात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि + रात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular (कालपरिमाण)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात — Conjunction (and)

• केचित्: some (others)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — ‘some’, Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• षष्ठाहभोजनाः: those who eat on the sixth day
• षष्ठाहभोजनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्ठ + अह + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; ‘those whose eating is on the sixth day’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-tīra (Revākhaṇḍa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two groups on the riverbank: Vaiṣṇava scholars/ascetics with manuscripts and tulasī garlands, and Śaiva vratins with rudrākṣa and ash marks; nearby, fasters sit calmly, some observing one-night/two-night fasts, others eating only on the sixth day.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu (Vaiṣṇava)
• Śiva (Śaiva)
• Vrata
• Upavāsa (fasting)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Narmadā tīrtha supports plural devotional disciplines—Vaiṣṇava insight and Śaiva vows—united by sincerity and restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā riverbanks, presented as a shared sacred space for Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava observances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vratas involving fasting: one-night, two-night fasts, and eating only on the sixth day.