Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

ततः संचिंत्य सुचिरं प्रोवाच गौतमस्तदा । कुरु चान्द्रायणशतं कृच्छ्राणां च सहस्रकम्

Transliteration

tataḥ saṃciṃtya suciraṃ provāca gautamastadā | kuru cāndrāyaṇaśataṃ kṛcchrāṇāṃ ca sahasrakam

Translation

तेव्हा गौतमांनी बराच वेळ विचार करून म्हटले—‘शंभर चान्द्रायण व्रत आणि एक हजार कृच्छ्र तपश्चर्या कर।’

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); अर्थः ‘then/thereafter’

• संचिन्त्य: having reflected
• संचिन्त्य: Kriya (क्रिया; पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः; अर्थः ‘having thought’

• सुचिरम्: for a long time
• सुचिरम्: Sambandha (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सुचिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-द्वितीया-एकवचन-आकारः; अव्ययीभूतम् (adverbial accusative)

• प्रोवाच: said
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• गौतमः: Gautama
• गौतमः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (1st case, nominative, singular)

• तदा: at that time
• तदा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• कुरु: do
• कुरु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• चान्द्रायणशतम्: a hundred Cāndrāyaṇa vows
• चान्द्रायणशतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चान्द्रायण + शत (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया (2nd case, accusative, singular); कर्म (object of ‘कुरु’)

• कृच्छ्राणाम्: of (various) Kṛcchra penances
• कृच्छ्राणाम्: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (व्रतनाम); बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी (6th case, genitive, plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सहस्रकम्: a thousand (set)
• सहस्रकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया (2nd case, accusative, singular); संख्यावाचक-नाम

Speaker

Gautama Ṛṣi

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gautama pauses in contemplation, then delivers a stern, precise instruction: one hundred Cāndrāyaṇas and one thousand Kṛcchras; the scene conveys the weight of dharma and the scale of expiation.

Characters & Entities

• Gautama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Atonement is not merely emotional regret; it is concretized through rigorous, rule-bound vows prescribed by a competent authority.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse focuses on prāyaścitta disciplines; the tīrtha-circuit and Hāṭakeśvara are developed in the subsequent verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A hundred Cāndrāyaṇa vows (moon-regulated fasting discipline) and a thousand Kṛcchra penances (austerity regimen) are prescribed.