Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

अनशनेन यत्पुण्यं प्रयागे त्यजतस्तनुम् । द्वादश्यां निमिषार्द्धेन तत्फलं कृष्णसन्निधौ

Transliteration

anaśanena yatpuṇyaṃ prayāge tyajatastanum | dvādaśyāṃ nimiṣārddhena tatphalaṃ kṛṣṇasannidhau

Translation

പ്രയാഗത്തിൽ ദ്വാദശിയിൽ ഉപവസിച്ച് ദേഹത്യാഗം ചെയ്താൽ ലഭിക്കുന്ന പുണ്യഫലം, ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണസന്നിധിയിൽ അർദ്ധനിമിഷത്തിൽ തന്നെ ലഭിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• अनशनेन: by fasting
• अनशनेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• यत्: which/whatever
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative) — ‘whatever/that which’

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object implied/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; यत् इत्यस्य विशेष्य

• प्रयागे: at Prayāga
• प्रयागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• त्यजतः: of (one) abandoning
• त्यजतः: Sambandha (Genitive agent/षष्ठी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘of one who is giving up’

• तनुम्: the body
• तनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• द्वादश्याम्: on the Dvādaśī (12th lunar day)
• द्वादश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (काल-अधिकरण), एकवचन

• निमिषार्द्धेन: in half a moment
• निमिषार्द्धेन: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमिष + अर्द्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: निमिषस्य अर्द्धम्)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘that’ (correlative)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Result/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत् इत्यस्य विशेष्य

• कृष्णसन्निधौ: in the presence of Krishna
• कृष्णसन्निधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: कृष्णस्य सन्निधिः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at Dvārakā on Dvādaśī stands before Kṛṣṇa’s sanctum; the ocean-city and temple spire behind, while a faint, distant vignette shows Prayāga’s confluence and an ascetic’s severe fast—contrasted with the immediacy of Kṛṣṇa’s presence.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• Kṛṣṇa
• Dvārakā
• Dvādaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse proclaims the extraordinary potency of Kṛṣṇa’s presence: the merit of severe austerity and even death at a famed tīrtha is said to be swiftly attained by devotion in Kṛṣṇa-sannidhi, especially on Dvādaśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā (Kṛṣṇa-sannidhi) is glorified as supremely merit-giving; Prayāga is referenced as a benchmark tīrtha for comparison.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Anaśana (fasting) is mentioned, and the timing emphasized is Dvādaśī; the teaching highlights the amplified fruit of vrata-like observance when oriented to Kṛṣṇa’s presence.