Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

त्रिरात्रं कुरुते योऽत्र शुचिः स्नात्वा जितेन्द्रियः । पक्षं मासं च षण्मासमब्दमेकं कदाचन

Transliteration

trirātraṃ kurute yo'tra śuciḥ snātvā jitendriyaḥ | pakṣaṃ māsaṃ ca ṣaṇmāsamabdamekaṃ kadācana

Translation

ആർ ഇവിടെ ശുചിയായി സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് ഇന്ദ്രിയനിഗ്രഹത്തോടെ മൂന്നു രാത്രികളുടെ നിയമം അനുഷ്ഠിക്കുമോ—അഥവാ പക്ഷം, മാസം, ആറുമാസം, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ഒരുവർഷം വരെ—അവൻ ഈ തീർത്ഥഫലം പ്രാപിക്കും.

Word by Word

• त्रिरात्रम्: for three nights
• त्रिरात्रम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + रात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (three nights); कर्म/कालपरिमाण

• कुरुते: does, performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘यः’

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Adverbial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having bathed)

• जितेन्द्रियः: self-controlled (having conquered the senses)
• जितेन्द्रियः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित (√जि धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (whose senses are conquered); विशेषणम् ‘यः’

• पक्षम्: (for) a fortnight
• पक्षम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2), एकवचन; कालपरिमाण

• मासम्: (for) a month
• मासम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2), एकवचन; कालपरिमाण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• षण्मासम्: (for) six months
• षण्मासम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (six months); कालपरिमाण

• अब्दम्: (for) a year
• अब्दम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2), एकवचन; कालपरिमाण

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘अब्दम्’

• कदाचन: at any time, ever
• कदाचन: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb: at any time/ever)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice; speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Koṭiliṅga

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined pilgrim living by the river/temple precinct, bathing at dawn, seated in meditation with controlled senses, marking days of observance (3 nights to longer periods).

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity, bathing at the tīrtha, and sense-control empower even short observances to yield great religious merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha within the Revā Khaṇḍa (Narmadā sacred geography) is being praised; the verse refers to it as ‘here’ (atra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) combined with niyama/self-restraint and undertaking a vrata for a chosen duration (3 nights to 1 year).