Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

उपवासेन कृच्छ्रेण शाकाहारेण याति यः । स याति सुन्दरीवृन्दैर्वीज्यमानो गणैर्दिवि

Transliteration

upavāsena kṛcchreṇa śākāhāreṇa yāti yaḥ | sa yāti sundarīvṛndairvījyamāno gaṇairdivi

Translation

ഉപവാസം, കൃച്ഛ്രവ്രതം അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ശാകാഹാരം അനുഷ്ഠിച്ച് പോകുന്നവൻ, സ്വർഗത്തിൽ സുന്ദരീവിഭാഗങ്ങൾ വീശിക്കൊണ്ടിരിക്കെ, ശിവഗണങ്ങളോടൊപ്പം ഗമനം ചെയ്യുന്നു.

Word by Word

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

• कृच्छ्रेण: with austerity / hardship
• कृच्छ्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental, 3rd), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावेन ‘कृच्छ्रेण’ = कठिनव्रतेन

• शाकाहारेण: by a vegetarian diet
• शाकाहारेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental, 3rd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शाकस्य आहारः)

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सुन्दरीवृन्दैः: by groups of beautiful women
• सुन्दरीवृन्दैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुन्दरी + वृन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental, 3rd), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सुन्दरीणां वृन्दैः)

• वीज्यमानः: being fanned
• वीज्यमानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीज् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि कृदन्तः (Present passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘वीज्यते’ इति

• गणैः: by attendants / hosts
• गणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental, 3rd), बहुवचन

• दिवि: in heaven
• दिवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative, 7th), एकवचन; ‘द्यौः’ इत्यस्य सप्तमी

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhūpati (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An austere pilgrim, thin from fasting, walks steadfastly; in the heavenly realm he is welcomed—gaṇas attend him and beautiful maidens fan him with cāmara, indicating honor and arrival in a divine court.

Characters & Entities

• kṛcchra (austerity)
• gaṇas (Śiva’s attendants)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity undertaken for dharma is honored; self-denial becomes spiritual capital that elevates the pilgrim.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra, through the promised fruits for those who travel there with austerities.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Travel while observing upavāsa (fasting), kṛcchra (austerity), or śākāhāra (greens/vegetarian restraint).