Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

चतुर्थेऽहनि मर्तव्यमिति संचिंत्य भामिनी । व्रतं त्रिरात्रमुद्दिश्य दिवारात्रं स्थिताऽश्रमे

Transliteration

caturthe'hani martavyamiti saṃciṃtya bhāminī | vrataṃ trirātramuddiśya divārātraṃ sthitā'śrame

Translation

Merenung, “Pada hari keempat dia pasti mati,” wanita mulia itu bernazar menjalankan vrata tiga malam, tinggal di pertapaan siang dan malam tanpa beralih.

Word by Word

• चतुर्थे: on the fourth
• चतुर्थे: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — विशेषणम्; ‘on the fourth’

• अहनि: day
• अहनि: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — ‘on the day’

• मर्तव्यम्: (he) must die / death is due
• मर्तव्यम्: Karya (Obligation/कार्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृ (धातु) → मर्तव्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृत्यप्रत्यय (तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — ‘(it is) to be died / death is to occur’ (impersonal)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक) — quotation marker ‘thus’

• संचिन्त्य: having considered
• संचिन्त्य: Kriya-vishesana (Absolutive/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्+चिन्त् (धातु) → संचिन्त्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययीभाव-रूपेण), अव्यय — ‘having reflected/considered’

• भामिनी: the lady (Sāvitrī)
• भामिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भामिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘the lady (Sāvitrī)’

• व्रतम्: vow
• व्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — ‘vow/observance’

• त्रिरात्रम्: three-night (observance)
• त्रिरात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि-रात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — ‘three nights (as a period)’

• उद्दिश्य: intending, aiming at
• उद्दिश्य: Kriya-vishesana (Purpose/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद्+दिश् (धातु) → उद्दिश्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त, अव्यय — ‘having intended/aiming at’

• दिवारात्रम्: day and night
• दिवारात्रम्: Karma (Extent/कर्म-प्रवृत्तिनिमित्त)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवा-रात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — ‘day and night (as a unit)’

• स्थिताऽश्रमे: remained in the hermitage
• स्थिताऽश्रमे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त) + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्थिताः = भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; आश्रमे = पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — ‘she remained in the hermitage’

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-audience/ṛṣis (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a forest hermitage, Sāvitrī, composed yet inwardly tense, contemplates the prophecy of death on the fourth day and begins a tri-rātra vow, remaining awake through day and night with restrained posture and prayerful focus.

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī
• trirātra-vrata (three-night vow)
• āśrama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When faced with fate, dharma expresses itself as disciplined vrata, mental clarity, and unwavering commitment to righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The overarching glorification is of Prabhāsa-kṣetra; vows and purity practiced within sacred settings are portrayed as especially potent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A trirātra-vrata (three-night vow) with continuous day-and-night observance in the āśrama is indicated.