Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

दुर्वासा उवाच । नभस्ये चासिते पक्षे तृतीयादिवसे स्थिते । प्रातरुत्थाय पश्चाच्च भक्षयेद्दंतधावनम्

Transliteration

durvāsā uvāca | nabhasye cāsite pakṣe tṛtīyādivase sthite | prātarutthāya paścācca bhakṣayeddaṃtadhāvanam

Translation

ദുർവാസാ പറഞ്ഞു—നഭസ്യ മാസത്തിലെ കൃഷ്ണപക്ഷത്തിൽ തൃതീയ തിഥി വന്നാൽ, പ്രഭാതത്തിൽ എഴുന്നേറ്റ് ശേഷം ദന്തധാവനം (ദാതൻ/മഞ്ജനം) മാത്രമേ ആഹാരമായി സ്വീകരിക്കേണ്ടത്।

Word by Word

• दुर्वासा: Durvāsā
• दुर्वासा: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• नभस्ये: in the month of Nabhas (Bhādrapada)
• नभस्ये: Adhikarana (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• असिते: dark (krishna)
• असिते: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying)

• पक्षे: in the fortnight
• पक्षे: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तृतीयादिवसे: on the third day
• तृतीयादिवसे: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृतीया (प्रातिपदिक) + दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); तृतीयायाः दिवसः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive tatpurusha)

• स्थिते: when it has arrived/when it is set
• स्थिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute) प्रयोगः; भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• प्रातर्: in the morning
• प्रातर्: Kala (Time adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रातर् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• उत्थाय: having risen
• उत्थाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kala (Sequence adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: afterwards)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• भक्षयेत्: should eat/consume
• भक्षयेत्: Kriya (Injunction)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• दन्तधावनम्: tooth-cleaning (twig/powder)
• दन्तधावनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + धावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); दन्तानां धावनम् इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

Speaker

Durvāsā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dawn scene: an ascetic authority (Durvāsā) instructs a devotee; the devotee rises, performs dantadhāvana, and prepares for a strict fast on kṛṣṇa-tṛtīyā.

Characters & Entities

• Durvāsā
• Nabhasya (Bhādrapada)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic vows are time-bound and discipline-based; bodily restraint and precise timing are taught as supports for spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse gives calendrical and disciplinary instructions; it does not name a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Begin the observance in Nabhasya (Bhādrapada), dark fortnight, on tṛtīyā; rise early and adhere to a strict intake rule connected with dantadhāvana (tooth-cleaning).