Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 170

Devanagari script

तिल तैलेन वा कुर्यात्पुरुषो नियतव्रतः । एकाशनं हि कुरुते यक्ष्मप्रीत्यै निरंतरम्

Transliteration

tila tailena vā kuryātpuruṣo niyatavrataḥ | ekāśanaṃ hi kurute yakṣmaprītyai niraṃtaram

Translation

നിയതവ്രതനായ പുരുഷൻ എള്ളോ എള്ളെണ്ണയോ ഉപയോഗിച്ച് ആ കർമ്മം ചെയ്യുക. യക്ഷ്മന്റെ പ്രീതിക്കായി അവൻ നിരന്തരം ഏകാശനവ്രതം (ഒരിക്കൽ മാത്രം ഭക്ഷണം) പാലിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• tila: sesame (seed)
• tila: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (कर्मरूपेण)

• tailena: with oil
• tailena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: taila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha/Coordination (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• kuryāt: should do
• kuryāt: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• puruṣaḥ: a man
• puruṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• niyata-vrataḥ: of restrained/observed vow
• niyata-vrataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niyata (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (नियतं व्रतम् यस्य/नियतव्रतः) विशेषणरूपेण

• ekāśanam: single meal (once-a-day eating)
• ekāśanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + āśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (एकं आशनम्/एकवारभोजनम्)

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक निपात (indeed/for)

• kurute: does/undertakes
• kurute: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• yakṣma-prītyai: for the satisfaction of Yakṣma
• yakṣma-prītyai: Sampradāna (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yakṣma (प्रातिपदिक) + prīti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (यक्ष्मस्य प्रीतिः)

• niraṃtaram: continuously
• niraṃtaram: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: niraṃtara (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावप्राय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vowed practitioner sits near a small lamp and ritual tray containing sesame seeds and a vessel of sesame oil; a simple meal is set aside, emphasizing ekāśana discipline; the atmosphere is austere and healing-focused.

Characters & Entities

• Yakṣma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Discipline (vrata) and simple regulated living are presented as powerful means for devotional propitiation and spiritual efficacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharmāraṇya context frames the teaching, but this verse itself highlights a vow-practice rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use sesame/sesame oil as part of the observance and keep ekāśana (one meal a day) continuously to please Yakṣma.