Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

चीरवल्कलधृक्त्यक्त्वा वस्त्राण्याभरणानि च । नागाधिपत्यं प्राप्नोति उपवासेन मानवः

Transliteration

cīravalkaladhṛktyaktvā vastrāṇyābharaṇāni ca | nāgādhipatyaṃ prāpnoti upavāsena mānavaḥ

Translation

ചീരവൽക്കലവും ജീർണ്ണവസ്ത്രവും ധരിച്ചു, നല്ല വസ്ത്രങ്ങളും ആഭരണങ്ങളും ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച്, മനുഷ്യൻ ഉപവാസത്താൽ നാഗാധിപത്യം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• चीर-वल्कल-धृक्: wearing bark-garments
• चीर-वल्कल-धृक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चीर (प्रातिपदिक) + वल्कल (प्रातिपदिक) + धृ (धातु) → धृक् (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक (धृ धातोः क्विप् प्रत्ययः) — “धारणशीलः”; समासः: चीरवल्कलयोः धृक् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); त्यज् धातोः क्त्वा — “having abandoned”

• वस्त्राणि: clothes
• वस्त्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-बहुवचन (Accusative plural)

• आभरणानि: ornaments
• आभरणानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आभरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-बहुवचन (Accusative plural)

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

• नाग-अधिपत्यम्: lordship over nāgas
• नाग-अधिपत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative singular); समासः: नागानाम् अधिपत्यम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• प्राप्नोति: attains
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• उपवासेन: by fasting
• उपवासेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• मानवः: a man
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya didactic narration context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic in bark garments stands fasting near a sacred coastal grove; beneath him, nāga-kings emerge from a jeweled subterranean opening, offering homage and a serpent-throne, signifying tapas-born sovereignty.

Characters & Entities

• Nāga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity and renunciation, especially fasting, are portrayed as powerful means to extraordinary attainments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader glorification is of Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where such vrata-oriented teachings are presented for spiritual uplift.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (fasting) combined with renunciation of finery (clothes/ornaments) and adopting ascetic dress.