Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

एकभुक्तं च नक्तं च तथैवायाचितं नृप । उपवासं तथा दानं ब्राह्मणानां च भोजनम्

Transliteration

ekabhuktaṃ ca naktaṃ ca tathaivāyācitaṃ nṛpa | upavāsaṃ tathā dānaṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ ca bhojanam

Translation

ഹേ രാജാവേ, ഏകഭുക്തവ്രതം പാലിക്കണം, നക്തഭോജനം (സന്ധ്യയിൽ മാത്രം) ചെയ്യണം, യാചിക്കാതെ ലഭിക്കുന്ന അന്നത്തിൽ ജീവിക്കണം; കൂടാതെ ഉപവാസം, ദാനം, ബ്രാഹ്മണഭോജനം എന്നിവയും നടത്തണം.

Word by Word

• एकभुक्तम्: single-meal observance
• एकभुक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + भुक्त (कृदन्त; भुज् धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular; समासः: एकं भुक्तम्/एकवारं भुक्तम् (अव्ययीभावार्थ-प्रयोगः, रूपे तत्पुरुष)

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

• नक्तम्: night-meal observance
• नक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular (observance of eating at night)

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

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — adverb

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात — restrictive/emphatic particle

• अयाचितम्: unsolicited (food/acceptance)
• अयाचितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ (उपसर्ग/नञ्) + याचित (कृदन्त; याच् धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular; नञ्-समास/नकारार्थ: not begged/unsolicited (food)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — vocative singular

• उपवासम्: fasting
• उपवासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — adverb

• दानम्: charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — genitive plural

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

• भोजनम्: feeding/meal (offering food)
• भोजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular

Speaker

Narrator of the Revā Khaṇḍa (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā tīrtha observance (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king) addressed; also Pārtha in adjacent verses

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at a riverbank āśrama: one eats a single simple meal, another waits until evening (nakta), a mendicant receives unsolicited alms; nearby, a dāna scene and a line of Brahmins being respectfully fed.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Vrata disciplines

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred travel is paired with ethical austerity and generosity—self-restraint plus support of dharma through dāna and hospitality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The vrata is being prescribed for the Narmadā tīrtha context, specifically Cakratīrtha in this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ekabhukta, nakta, ayācita living, upavāsa (fasting), dāna (charity), and feeding Brahmins.