Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

एकभक्तेन नक्तेन तथैवायाचितेन च । उपवासेन चैकेन पादकृच्छ्रः प्रकीर्तितः

Transliteration

ekabhaktena naktena tathaivāyācitena ca | upavāsena caikena pādakṛcchraḥ prakīrtitaḥ

Translation

ഒരു നേരം മാത്രം ഭക്ഷണം, രാത്രിയിൽ മാത്രം ഭക്ഷണം, ചോദിക്കാതെ ലഭിച്ച അന്നത്തിൽ ജീവിക്കൽ, കൂടാതെ ഒരു ദിവസം ഉപവാസം—ഇതാണ് ‘പാദ-കൃച്ഛ്ര’ വ്രതമെന്ന് പ്രസിദ്ധം.

Word by Word

• एक-भक्तेन: with one meal (a day)
• एक-भक्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (भक्त-शब्दः), तृतीया (3), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (एकं भक्तं यस्य/एकभक्तम्—one meal)

• नक्तेन: with (food taken) at night
• नक्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; ‘by night/at night’ अर्थे (night-meal regimen)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/सादृश्यार्थे

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक

• आयाचितेन: with begged-for (food)
• आयाचितेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ-याचित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-प्राय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; ‘आयाचित’ = याचित/भिक्षित (begged/asked-for food)

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

• उपवासेन: with fasting
• उपवासेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

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

• एकेन: single; one (day)
• एकेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (उपवासेन)

• पाद-कृच्छ्रः: the pāda-kṛcchra (a partial kṛcchra penance)
• पाद-कृच्छ्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पादमात्रः कृच्छ्रः / कृच्छ्रस्य पादः—quarter/partial kṛcchra)

• प्रकीर्तितः: is proclaimed/declared
• प्रकीर्तितः: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विधेय (is declared)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A four-panel narrative: (1) one measured daytime meal, (2) a single night meal, (3) humble acceptance of unsolicited alms, (4) complete fasting—ending with the sādhaka in calm meditation before a Śiva shrine by the Gaṅgā.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Discipline in eating and voluntary austerity are structured means for purification and self-mastery.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The vow is taught within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa tradition, where observances are especially meritorious in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pāda-Kṛcchra: one-meal day, night-only meal, unsolicited food, and a one-day fast as the concluding limb.