Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

व्रतैर्नियमदानैश्च होमजाप्यविधानतः । कृच्छ्रचान्द्रायणैर्नित्यं कृशं कुर्वन्कलेवरम्

Transliteration

vratairniyamadānaiśca homajāpyavidhānataḥ | kṛcchracāndrāyaṇairnityaṃ kṛśaṃ kurvankalevaram

Translation

വ്രതങ്ങൾ, നിയമങ്ങൾ, ദാനങ്ങൾ, കൂടാതെ വിധിപൂർവ്വം ഹോമവും ജപവും ചെയ്ത്—നിത്യ കൃച്ഛ്ര-ചാന്ദ്രായണ തപസ്സുകളാൽ അവൻ ശരീരം ക്ഷീണിപ്പിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• व्रतैः: by vows
• व्रतैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• नियमदानैः: by disciplines and gifts
• नियमदानैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (नियमाश्च दानानि च)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• होमजाप्यविधानतः: according to the rules of oblations and muttered prayers
• होमजाप्यविधानतः: Hetu/Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक) + जाप्य (√जप्, ण्यत्/यत्-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + विधान (प्रातिपदिक) + तः (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिलन्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'according to/from'); समासः—तत्पुरुष (होमस्य जाप्यस्य विधानम्)

• कृच्छ्रचान्द्रायणैः: by Kṛcchra and Cāndrāyaṇa penances
• कृच्छ्रचान्द्रायणैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक) + चान्द्रायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (कृच्छ्राणि च चान्द्रायणानि च)

• नित्यम्: always/constantly
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative)

• कृशम्: thin/emaciated
• कृशम्: Karma (Object-complement/कर्मप्रवचनीय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कुर्वन्: making
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकर्तरि कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कलेवरम्: body
• कलेवरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलेवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic figure performing homa with steady japa, giving dāna, and observing severe fasts; body becomes lean, eyes intense, surrounded by ritual fires and moon-phase symbolism for cāndrāyaṇa.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛcchra (penance)
• Cāndrāyaṇa (penance)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic Dharma praises regulated austerity—charity, discipline, homa, and japa—as a coherent path that purifies and concentrates the seeker.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it describes the regimen that will be enacted in the Revā (Narmadā) setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of homa and japa ‘vidhānataḥ,’ along with Kṛcchra and Cāndrāyaṇa penances, plus dāna and niyama.