Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अत्रोपवासः केनापि कृतः क्रतुशताधिकैः । रात्रौ जागरणं पुण्यं कल्पकोटितपोऽधिकम्

Transliteration

atropavāsaḥ kenāpi kṛtaḥ kratuśatādhikaiḥ | rātrau jāgaraṇaṃ puṇyaṃ kalpakoṭitapo'dhikam

Translation

ഇവിടെ ആരെങ്കിലും അനുഷ്ഠിക്കുന്ന ഉപവാസം നൂറു യാഗങ്ങളെക്കാളും അധിക പുണ്യപ്രദം; രാത്രിജാഗരണം പവിത്രം—കോടി കല്പങ്ങളുടെ തപസ്സിനേക്കാളും മഹത്തരം।

Word by Word

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

• उपवासः: fasting
• उपवासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• केन: by whom; by someone
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; प्रश्न/अनिर्दिष्टकर्ता (by whom/ by someone)

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक निपात (also/even)

• कृतः: done; performed
• कृतः: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपवासस्य विशेषणम्

• क्रतुशताधिकैः: by (those) with more than a hundred sacrifices
• क्रतुशताधिकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रतु-शत-अधिक (प्रातिपदिक; components: क्रतु + शत + अधिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (क्रतूनां शतं तस्मात् अधिकम्)

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन (वैदिक/प्रचलित रूप)

• जागरणम्: keeping vigil; wakefulness
• जागरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक; from √जागृ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• पुण्यम्: meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (जागरणस्य)

• कल्प: aeon
• कल्प: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषे पूर्वपद (समासाङ्ग), बहुवचनार्थे/एकवचन (genitive sense in compound)

• कोटि: crore
• कोटि: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषे मध्यपद (समासाङ्ग), एकवचन (genitive sense in compound)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषे मध्यपद (समासाङ्ग), एकवचन (genitive sense in compound)

• अधिकम्: greater; more
• अधिकम्: Kriya (Predicative complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तुलनार्थक विशेषण (more than)

Speaker

Deductive: Purāṇic narrator within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa (likely Sūta-style narration to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A night-long vigil in a temple courtyard: devotees seated with lamps, chanting; some stand in meditation; the Śiva shrine glows while symbolic ‘hundreds of sacrifices’ fade into the background, indicating surpassed merit.

Characters & Entities

• Upavāsa (fasting)
• Jāgaraṇa (night vigil)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Simple disciplines—fasting and vigil—when aligned with sacred time carry immense spiritual potency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified; “here” refers to the ritual context being described in this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observe upavāsa (fasting) and perform rātri-jāgaraṇa (night-long vigil).