Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

तस्यापि च विधिं वक्ष्ये शृणु पार्थ समाहितः । एकाशनं ब्रह्मचर्यमक्षारलवणाशनम्

Transliteration

tasyāpi ca vidhiṃ vakṣye śṛṇu pārtha samāhitaḥ | ekāśanaṃ brahmacaryamakṣāralavaṇāśanam

Translation

അതിന്റെ വിധിയും ഞാൻ പറയുന്നു—ഹേ പാർഥ, ഏകാഗ്രമായി കേൾക്കുക. ദിവസത്തിൽ ഒരിക്കൽ മാത്രം ആഹാരം, ബ്രഹ്മചര്യപാലനം, കൂടാതെ ക്ഷാരവും ലവണവും ഇല്ലാത്ത ഭക്ഷണം സ്വീകരിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of that (procedure)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also)

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

• विधिम्: the rule; procedure
• विधिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वक्ष्ये: I shall tell
• वक्ष्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• समाहितः: composed; attentive
• समाहितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सम्-आ-धा + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• एकाशनम्: eating once (a day)
• एकाशनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक-आशन (प्रातिपदिक; एक + आशन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (द्विगु/नित्यसमासवत्: एकं आशनम् = one meal)

• ब्रह्मचर्यम्: celibacy; brahmacarya
• ब्रह्मचर्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म-चर्य (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्मन् + चर्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्रह्मणि चर्या/ब्रह्मसम्बन्धि चर्या)

• अक्षारलवणाशनम्: eating without alkali and salt
• अक्षारलवणाशनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-क्षार-लवण-आशन (प्रातिपदिक; नञ् + क्षार + लवण + आशन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (नञ्-तत्पुरुषः: क्षारलवणयोः अभावः; आशनम् = eating)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; instructional tone in Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prāyaścitta-yātrā vidhi (general)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-figure instructs Arjuna (Pārtha) seated respectfully; beside them a pilgrim’s simple meal (one bowl), no salt jars; symbols of restraint—waterpot, staff, rosary—suggest vrata discipline.

Characters & Entities

• Pārtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity in food and conduct disciplines the senses, making expiation and pilgrimage spiritually effective.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse gives general pilgrimage-vrata rules within the Revā/Narmadā section rather than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ekāśana (one meal daily), brahmacarya, and abstaining from salt and alkaline/seasoning additives as part of the observance.