Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

सा कृच्छ्राणि पराकांश्च अतिकृच्छ्राणि कुर्वती । ज्यैष्ठे भाद्रपदे चक्रे सावित्र्या द्वे त्रिरात्रिके

Transliteration

sā kṛcchrāṇi parākāṃśca atikṛcchrāṇi kurvatī | jyaiṣṭhe bhādrapade cakre sāvitryā dve trirātrike

Translation

ఆమె కృచ్ఛ్ర, పరాక, అతికృచ్ఛ్ర అనే తపోనియమాలను ఆచరించింది; జ్యేష్ఠ, భాద్రపద మాసాలలో సావిత్రీ వ్రతంతో కూడిన రెండు త్రిరాత్రి వ్రతాలను నిర్వహించింది।

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• कृच्छ्राणि: austerities/penances (kṛcchra-vows)
• कृच्छ्राणि: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• पराकान्: severe/arduous (parāka-vows)
• पराकान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पराक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अतिकृच्छ्राणि: very severe penances (atikṛcchra-vows)
• अतिकृच्छ्राणि: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति- + कृच्छ्र (उपसर्ग + प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• कुर्वती: doing/performing
• कुर्वती: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + शतृ (वर्तमान-कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक-कर्तरि शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ज्यैष्ठे: in (the month of) Jyaiṣṭha
• ज्यैष्ठे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location-Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्यैष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; मास-नाम (month-name)

• भाद्रपदे: in (the month of) Bhādrapada
• भाद्रपदे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location-Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाद्रपद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; मास-नाम (month-name)

• चक्रे: she performed/did
• चक्रे: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सावित्र्या: with/according to the Sāvitrī (rite)
• सावित्र्या: Karana (करण/Instrument-Association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सावित्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• द्वे: two
• द्वे: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा (Acc./Nom.), द्विवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण

• त्रिरात्रिके: two three-night observances
• त्रिरात्रिके: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + रात्रि + क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा (Acc./Nom.), द्विवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रि-रात्रि-क)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A noble woman in ascetic discipline performs successive austerities; a ritual calendar is implied—offerings at dawn and dusk, controlled diet, and a three-night Sāvitrī observance.

Characters & Entities

• Sunandā
• Sāvitrī (rite/mantra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disciplined, time-bound vows and penances are portrayed as powerful means for inner purification and spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative context is the sacred bank associated with Vaṭayakṣiṇī; the place is implied as especially efficacious for penances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of Kṛcchra/Parāka/Ati-kṛcchra and two trirātra vows with Sāvitrī discipline in specified months.