Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

कृत्वा मासोपवासानि स्खलंति ब्रह्मचर्यतः । सकृदेव द्विकृत्वो वा त्रिःकृत्वो दैवयोगतः

Transliteration

kṛtvā māsopavāsāni skhalaṃti brahmacaryataḥ | sakṛdeva dvikṛtvo vā triḥkṛtvo daivayogataḥ

Translation

മാസോപവാസങ്ങൾ ചെയ്തിട്ടും ചിലർ ബ്രഹ്മചര്യവ്രതത്തിൽ നിന്ന് സ്ഖലിക്കാം—ദൈവയോഗബലത്താൽ ഒരിക്കൽ, രണ്ടിക്കൽ അല്ലെങ്കിൽ മൂന്നിക്കൽ പോലും।

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययीभावप्रायः; धातु: कृ; अर्थे: पूर्वकर्म (having done)

• मास: month
• मास: Samasa-purvapada (Compound member/समासपूर्वपद)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (stem) used in compound; (month)

• उपवासानि: fasts
• उपवासानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; (fasts)

• मासोपवासानि: monthly fasts
• मासोपवासानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक) + उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध: मासस्य उपवासाः = monthly fasts); मुख्यपद: उपवासानि; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• स्खलन्ति: they falter
• स्खलन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्खल् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; धातु: स्खल् (to slip/falter)

• ब्रह्मचर्यतः: from (their) celibacy / in celibacy
• ब्रह्मचर्यतः: Apadana/Hetu (Source/Cause/अपादान-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverbial sense: -तः = from/with respect to)

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, संख्यावाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (once)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निश्चय/अवधारण (emphasis)

• द्विकृत्वः: twice
• द्विकृत्वः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत्वस्/कृत्वः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (द्वि + कृत्वः); अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (twice)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्पार्थक निपात (or)

• त्रिःकृत्वः: thrice
• त्रिःकृत्वः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिस्/त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत्वस्/कृत्वः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (त्रिः + कृत्वः); अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (thrice)

• दैवयोगतः: due to fate/accidentally
• दैवयोगतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक) + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दैवस्य योगः = chance/act of fate); पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (-तः = due to/from)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A penitent ascetic or householder-votary after month-long fasting, shown in inner turmoil as the force of fate and desire approaches; Kāśī’s ghāṭs and Śiva’s presence loom as moral witness.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmacarya
• Daiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerities like fasting are powerful, yet human vows can falter; dharma requires humility, vigilance, and renewed resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader discourse belongs to the Kāśī-khaṇḍa (Varanasi/Kashi), though this verse emphasizes vrata-dharma rather than naming a specific tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Month-long fasting (māsa-upavāsa) and the observance of brahmacarya (continence) are referenced.