Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

उपवासो बलाज्जातो ह्यन्नाभावाद्वयोरपि । पद्मैरेभिर्हरः पूज्यो द्वाभ्यामेवाद्य निश्चयम्

Transliteration

upavāso balājjāto hyannābhāvādvayorapi | padmairebhirharaḥ pūjyo dvābhyāmevādya niścayam

Translation

Puasa ini timbul kerana keperluan, kerana makanan tiada bagi kami berdua. Maka pada hari ini, tanpa ragu, biarlah Hara (Śiva) dipuja oleh kami berdua dengan bunga teratai ini juga.

Word by Word

• उपवासः: fasting
• उपवासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘fasting’

• बलात्: by force/compulsion
• बलात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; ablative = forcibly/from compulsion

• जातः: arose
• जातः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, active sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘arose/occurred’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) = indeed/for

• अन्नाभावात्: from lack of food
• अन्नाभावात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न + अभाव (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अन्नस्य अभावः) = ‘from lack of food’

• वयोः: of you two
• वयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case), द्विवचन; genitive = of you two

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ-निपात) = also/even

• पद्मैः: with lotuses
• पद्मैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; instrumental = with lotuses

• एभिः: with these
• एभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; demonstrative adjective qualifying पद्मैः

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karma (Object of worship/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; name of Śiva

• पूज्यः: should be worshipped
• पूज्यः: Kriya (Predicate adjective/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्तव्यतार्थक कृदन्त (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘to be worshipped’

• द्वाभ्याम्: by the two (of you)
• द्वाभ्याम्: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, द्विवचन; instrumental = by/with two (persons)

• एव: only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण-निपात) = only/indeed

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) = today/now

• निश्चयम्: certainly
• निश्चयम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निश्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगे अव्ययवत् (क्रियाविशेषण) = certainly/decidedly; accusative used adverbially

Speaker

Deductive (wife’s dharmic resolve within the narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A poor couple, hungry yet resolute, offers gathered lotuses together to Hara, turning their lack of food into a shared act of worship.

Characters & Entities

• Hara (Śiva)
• Lotus (padma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even hardship can be transformed into vrata when directed toward devotion; sincerity matters more than abundance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda sacred region where Śiva’s worship is narrated as especially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (fasting) and worship of Hara with lotus flowers by the couple together.