Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

महापाराकसंज्ञं तु महत्तप उदाहृतम् । मासैकमुपवासेन सर्वं पूर्णं प्रजायते

Transliteration

mahāpārākasaṃjñaṃ tu mahattapa udāhṛtam | māsaikamupavāsena sarvaṃ pūrṇaṃ prajāyate

Translation

‘മഹാപാരാക’ എന്ന പേരിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധമായ മഹത്തപസ്സാണിത്; ഒരു മാസം ഉപവാസം ചെയ്താൽ എല്ലാ ആത്മീയ ലക്ഷ്യങ്ങളും പൂർണ്ണമാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• महापाराकसंज्ञम्: named ‘Mahāpārāka’
• महापाराकसंज्ञम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापाराक (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (महापाराक इति संज्ञा यस्य/यत्)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विशेषार्थक particle)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तपः)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उदाहृतम्: is declared/said
• उदाहृतम्: Kriya (Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्+आ+हृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘is declared’

• मासैकम्: one month
• मासैकम्: Karma/Avadhi (Extent as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (एकः मासः)

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

• सर्वम्: everything / wholly
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेष्य-सम्बन्धः (पूर्णम्)

• पूर्णम्: complete, fulfilled
• पूर्णम्: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (सर्वम्)

• प्रजायते: arises, comes to be
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; उपसर्गः प्र

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa māhātmya-style instruction)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined devotee in a simple hut/temple corridor marks days on a palm-leaf, performing lamp-offering and japa, body lean from fasting; above, a mandala-like emblem shows the four puruṣārthas as 'fulfilled'.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāpārāka
• Upavāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic tradition extols sustained fasting as a comprehensive means to spiritual completion when undertaken as sacred tapas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is specified; the verse functions as a vrata-phala declaration within a māhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mahāpārāka: a month-long upavāsa (fast) presented as a ‘great tapas’.