Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

चतुर्दश्यां निराहारः स्थितो भूत्वा शुचिव्रतः । पूजयेत्परया भक्त्या रात्रौ जागरणे शिवम्

Transliteration

caturdaśyāṃ nirāhāraḥ sthito bhūtvā śucivrataḥ | pūjayetparayā bhaktyā rātrau jāgaraṇe śivam

Translation

ในวันจตุรทศี พึงงดอาหาร ตั้งมั่นและถือพรตแห่งความบริสุทธิ์ แล้วบูชาพระศิวะด้วยภักติอันยิ่งยวด โดยทำชาครณะเฝ้าตื่นตลอดราตรี

Word by Word

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तिथिवाचक (time-locative)

• निराहारः: fasting (without food)
• निराहारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निराहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—निः आहारः यस्य (नञ्/अव्ययीभाव-प्राय; व्यवहारतः बहुव्रीहि-भाव)

• स्थितः: standing/remaining
• स्थितः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya (Adverbial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having become)

• शुचिव्रतः: one of pure vow
• शुचिव्रतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचिव्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—शुचि व्रतम् यस्य/शुचि-व्रत (कर्मधारय/बहुव्रीहि-भाव)

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• परया: with supreme
• परया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• भक्त्या: devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करणवाचक

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; कालवाचक (time-locative)

• जागरणे: during the vigil
• जागरणे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अवस्थावाचक (in the vigil)

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Māṇḍaveśvara / Māṇḍavya-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night-time temple vigil at Māṇḍaveśvara: devotees seated with lamps, chanting before a Shiva-linga; some stand in prayer, others offer bilva; moonlit caturdaśī sky; atmosphere of wakeful devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Caturdaśī
• Śiva
• Jāgaraṇa (night vigil)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Discipline (fasting and purity) joined to devotion (bhakti) culminates in direct Śiva-worship, especially during sacred nights.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing context is the Devakhāta/Māṇḍaveśvara tīrtha, where such observances are said to yield heightened merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Caturdaśī upavāsa (nirāhāra fasting), śuci-vrata (purity vow), and night-long jāgaraṇa with Śiva-pūjā.