Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

पिण्याकशाकपर्णैश्च कृच्छ्रचान्द्रायणादिभिः । आराध्य गिरिजानाथं ततः सिद्धिं परां गतः

Transliteration

piṇyākaśākaparṇaiśca kṛcchracāndrāyaṇādibhiḥ | ārādhya girijānāthaṃ tataḥ siddhiṃ parāṃ gataḥ

Translation

പിണ്യാകം, ശാകം, പത്രങ്ങൾ എന്നിവകൊണ്ടും, കൃച്ഛ്ര-ചാന്ദ്രായണാദി വ്രതതപസ്സുകളാലും ഗിരിജാനാഥനെ ആരാധിച്ച്, പിന്നെ അവൻ പരമസിദ്ധി പ്രാപിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• पिण्याकशाकपर्णैः: with oil-cake, vegetables, and leaves
• पिण्याकशाकपर्णैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṇyāka + śāka + parṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः = ‘पिण्याकैः शाकैः पर्णैश्च’

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

• कृच्छ्रचान्द्रायणादिभिः: by (austerities) such as Kṛcchra and Cāndrāyaṇa
• कृच्छ्रचान्द्रायणादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛcchra + cāndrāyaṇa + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व/समुच्चयार्थः = ‘कृच्छ्र-चान्द्रायण-आदि’ तपोविधयः

• आराध्य: having worshipped; propitiating
• आराध्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ārādhya (कृदन्त); ā-√rādh (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त = gerund (having worshipped)

• गिरिजानाथम्: the Lord of Girijā (Pārvatī)
• गिरिजानाथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: girijā + nātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः = ‘गिरिजायाः नाथः’ (Śiva)

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तरार्थक) = thereafter

• सिद्धिम्: success; attainment
• सिद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन = Accusative singular

• पराम्: supreme; highest
• पराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘सिद्धिम्’

• गतः: attained; went
• गतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक); √gam (धातु) + क्त
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे = ‘(सः) गतः’ (has attained/gone)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Varuṇeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja / nṛpasattama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Varuṇa performing severe austerities before a Śiva-liṅga: offering humble foods (oil-cake, leafy greens, leaves), moon-phased Cāndrāyaṇa discipline suggested by a waxing/waning moon above, culminating in a radiant siddhi moment.

Characters & Entities

• Girijānātha (Śiva)
• Kṛcchra-vrata
• Cāndrāyaṇa-vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity (vrata/tapas) combined with devoted worship of Śiva is portrayed as a direct path to supreme spiritual attainment (siddhi).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Varuṇeśvara context by highlighting Śiva (Girijānātha) worship connected to that sacred locale.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of Kṛcchra and Cāndrāyaṇa-type vows and disciplined diet offerings while worshipping Śiva.