Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

एकभक्तेन नक्तेन तथैवायाचितेन च । भिक्षाहारेण तोयेन फलाहारेण वा यदि

Transliteration

ekabhaktena naktena tathaivāyācitena ca | bhikṣāhāreṇa toyena phalāhāreṇa vā yadi

Translation

ആരെങ്കിലും ഒരിക്കൽ മാത്രം ഭക്ഷണം കഴിച്ച്, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ രാത്രിയിൽ മാത്രം ഭക്ഷിച്ച്; അതുപോലെ പ്രത്യേകമായി യാചിക്കാതെ, ഭിക്ഷാഹാരത്തിൽ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ വെള്ളത്തിൽ മാത്രം, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ഫലാഹാരത്തിൽ (യാത്ര ചെയ്താൽ)—

Word by Word

• एकभक्तेन: with one meal (a day)
• एकभक्तेन: Karaṇa (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + भक्त (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental singular); समासः (एकं भक्तं यस्य/एकभक्तम्—एकवार-भोजनम्)

• नक्तेन: with night-eating only (naktavrata)
• नक्तेन: Karaṇa (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental singular); नक्तभोजन-व्रतार्थे

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषणम् (in that manner/likewise)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपातः (emphasis)

• आयाचितेन: with begged-for (food)
• आयाचितेन: Karaṇa (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ+याच् (धातु) + क्त → आयाचित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; 'आयाचित-भोजन' (begged food)

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपातः (conjunction)

• भिक्षाहारेण: by subsisting on alms
• भिक्षाहारेण: Karaṇa (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षा + आहार (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental singular); समासः (भिक्षायाः आहारः)

• तोयेन: with water (only)
• तोयेन: Karaṇa (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental singular)

• फलाहारेण: by fruit-diet
• फलाहारेण: Karaṇa (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल + आहार (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental singular); समासः (फलानाम् आहारः)

• वा: or
• वा: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प-निपातः (disjunctive particle)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Condition marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक-सम्बन्धकः (conditional particle)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhūpati (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims on a dusty road carrying small bundles; one accepts a simple handful of food, another drinks water from a pot, another eats fruits—faces calm, disciplined, and inwardly focused.

Characters & Entities

• vrata-style diets (ekabhakta, nakta, phalāhāra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regulated living during pilgrimage turns travel into tapas, purifying desire and strengthening devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra in the Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa, in the context of yātrā disciplines.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observe food-restraints such as one meal a day, night-only eating, unsought food, alms-food, water-only, or fruit-only diet.