Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 107

Devanagari script

क्रीडत्यविधवा चापि लभते सा महद्यशः । नक्तं कृत्वा चतुर्थ्यां वै दद्याद्विप्राय मोदकान्

Transliteration

krīḍatyavidhavā cāpi labhate sā mahadyaśaḥ | naktaṃ kṛtvā caturthyāṃ vai dadyādviprāya modakān

Translation

അവൾ ആനന്ദത്തോടെ വിഹരിക്കുന്നു; വിധവയാകുകയില്ല; മഹായശസ്സും ലഭിക്കുന്നു. ചതുർത്ഥിയിൽ നക്തവ്രതം അനുഷ്ഠിച്ച് ബ്രാഹ്മണന് മോദകം ദാനം ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• krīḍati: plays, sports
• krīḍati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: krīḍ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• avidhavā: a woman who is not a widow
• avidhavā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- + vidhavā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-प्रयोग (particle: also/even)

• labhate: obtains
• labhate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• mahat: great
• mahat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular) — यशः विशेषण

• yaśaḥ: fame
• yaśaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yaśas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• naktaṃ: at night
• naktaṃ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nakta (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-नपुंसक)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time: at night)

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• caturthyām: on the fourth (lunar day)
• caturthyām: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caturthī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular) — तिथिवाचक

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• dadyāt: should give
• dadyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• viprāya: to a Brahmin
• viprāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• modakān: sweet dumplings (modakas)
• modakān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: modaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-maṇḍala

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devoted woman on Caturthī observes nakta, then offers a plate of modakas to a serene Veda-knowing brāhmaṇa on the banks of Revā; the river glows with sanctity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-restraint (fasting) joined with generosity (dāna) is portrayed as producing stability, honor, and auspicious household life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa’s broader dharma-teaching setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observe nakta (a night-based fast/one meal at night) and donate modakas to a Brāhmaṇa on Caturthī.