Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । व्रतं विष्णुव्रतं विद्धि विष्णुभक्तिसमन्वितम् । तपश्च धर्मवर्तित्वं कृच्छ्रादिकमथापि वा

Transliteration

brahmovāca | vrataṃ viṣṇuvrataṃ viddhi viṣṇubhaktisamanvitam | tapaśca dharmavartitvaṃ kṛcchrādikamathāpi vā

Translation

พรหมาตรัสว่า “จงรู้ว่าวรตะนั้นคือวิษณุวรตะ อันประกอบด้วยภักติแด่พระวิษณุ และจงรู้ว่าตบะคือความมั่นคงในการประพฤติธรรม—หรือมิฉะนั้นก็เป็นการบำเพ็ญพรตชดใช้ เช่น กฤจฉระและวัตรอื่น ๆ ที่คล้ายกัน”

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संबोधन-रहित कर्तृपद

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• विष्णुव्रतम्: Viṣṇu’s vow
• विष्णुव्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः व्रतम्)

• विद्धि: know, understand
• विद्धि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विष्णुभक्तिसमन्वितम्: endowed with devotion to Viṣṇu
• विष्णुभक्तिसमन्वितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (कृदन्त, सम्+अन्वि/अन्वि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (व्रतम् इति)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समुच्चित-पद

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

• धर्मवर्तित्वम्: steadfastness in dharma
• धर्मवर्तित्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्तित्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (धर्मे वर्तित्वम्/धर्मस्य वर्तित्वम्)

• कृच्छ्रादिकम्: kṛcchra and the like (penances)
• कृच्छ्रादिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘कृच्छ्र-आदि’ इति समाहार/समुच्चयार्थः

• अथ: then, moreover
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/प्रस्ताव-अव्यय (particle)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

Speaker

Brahmā

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā instructs Nārada with an open palm teaching gesture; symbolic items appear: tulasī garland (bhakti), a dharma-scale or scripture (dharma-vartitva), and a small austerity icon (simple meal bowl) indicating Kṛcchra.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True vrata is devotion-centered (Viṣṇu-bhakti), and true tapas is sustained dharmic living, supported by penance when needed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is specified in this verse; the teaching is doctrinal within the Tīrthamāhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observing a Viṣṇu-dedicated vow with bhakti; and practicing dharmic restraint or formal penances like Kṛcchra.