Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

त्रिरात्रोपोषितस्त्वेको यावद्वर्षशतं नरः । एको विष्णुपदीतोये स्नाति द्वाभ्यां समं फलम्

Transliteration

trirātropoṣitastveko yāvadvarṣaśataṃ naraḥ | eko viṣṇupadītoye snāti dvābhyāṃ samaṃ phalam

Translation

శత సంవత్సరాల వరకు పునఃపునః మూడు రాత్రుల ఉపవాసం చేసే మనిషికి కలిగే ఫలం ఎంతయో, విష్ణుపదీ జలంలో ఒక్కసారి స్నానం చేసిన ఫలం కూడా ఆ రెండింటితో సమానం అవుతుంది।

Word by Word

• trirātra-upoṣitaḥ: one who has fasted for three nights
• trirātra-upoṣitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri-rātra-upoṣita (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि + रात्र + उपोषित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; उपोषित = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) used substantively

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: contrast/emphasis)

• ekaḥ: one (person)
• ekaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• yāvat: for (the duration of)
• yāvat: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Extent)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधि-बोधक अव्यय (indeclinable of extent: ‘as much as/for as long as’)

• varṣaśatam: a hundred years
• varṣaśatam: Kāla-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण/Duration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa-śata (प्रातिपदिक; वर्ष + शत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; परिमाण (measure)

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• ekaḥ: one (person)
• ekaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• viṣṇupadītoye: in Viṣṇupadī water
• viṣṇupadītoye: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇupadī-toya (प्रातिपदिक; विष्णुपदी + तोय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• snāti: bathes
• snāti: Kriyā (क्रिया/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √snā (स्ना धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• dvābhyām: with two (acts/persons)
• dvābhyām: Sahakāraka/Instrument (करण/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), द्विवचन (Dual)

• samam: equally
• samam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत्

• phalam: fruit, result
• phalam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇupadī

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A single pilgrim bathes in radiant water while a symbolic backdrop shows ‘100 years’ of trirātra fasts—rows of three-night moon phases—fading into the glow of the tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇupadī
• trirātra-upavāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to a highly praised tīrtha is depicted as a swift, grace-filled path rivaling extremely long-term vow-practices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viṣṇupadī-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Trirātra-upoṣa (three-night fast) is referenced; the emphasized act is bathing in Viṣṇupadī.