Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

उपवासाश्च ये केचित्स्त्रीधर्मे कथिता बुधैः । यैः कृतैः स्वर्गमायान्ति सुकृतिन्यः स्त्रियो यथा

Transliteration

upavāsāśca ye kecitstrīdharme kathitā budhaiḥ | yaiḥ kṛtaiḥ svargamāyānti sukṛtinyaḥ striyo yathā

Translation

സ്ത്രീധർമ്മത്തിൽ ബുദ്ധിമാന്മാർ പറഞ്ഞിട്ടുള്ള ഏത് ഏത് ഉപവാസങ്ങളാണോ, അവ അനുഷ്ഠിച്ചാൽ പുണ്യവതികളായ സ്ത്രീകൾ സ്വർഗം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നുവോ—അവയും എനിക്കു പറഞ്ഞുതരുക।

Word by Word

• उपवासाः: fasts
• उपवासाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (fasts)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (and)

• ये: which
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (which/that)

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (निपात)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; अनिश्चितार्थक-सर्वनाम (some)

• स्त्रीधर्मे: in women’s duties
• स्त्रीधर्मे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: स्त्रियाः धर्मः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः); पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (in women’s dharma)

• कथिताः: declared
• कथिताः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; उपवासाः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम् (told/declared)

• बुधैः: by the wise
• बुधैः: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (by the wise)

• यैः: by which
• यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (by which)

• कृतैः: when performed
• कृतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्; यैः इति सह (when done/being performed)

• स्वर्गम्: to heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Gati/Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (to heaven)

• आयान्ति: attain/go
• आयान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; उपसर्गः आ- (they go/attain)

• सुकृतिन्यः: virtuous (women)
• सुकृतिन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (अव्यय) + कृतिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (virtuous women)

• स्त्रियः: women
• स्त्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (women)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (as/just as)

Speaker

Rājñī (the Queen/Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha sphere

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The queen asks specifically about women’s fasts; the scene suggests austerity—simple food offerings, a lamp, and a calm devotional posture—contrasting with royal splendor.

Characters & Entities

• Rājñī (queen)
• Budhāḥ (the wise)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disciplined observances like fasting, when grounded in dharma and virtue, are presented as paths to merit and higher spiritual destinations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None in this verse; it concerns dharma-śikṣā (instruction on observances).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (fasting) as taught within strī-dharma; details are requested rather than stated.