Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

अशक्तस्तु त्रयोदश्यां नक्तं कुर्याज्जितेन्द्रियः । अयाचितं चतुर्दश्यां ह्युपवासेन पूर्णिमाम्

Transliteration

aśaktastu trayodaśyāṃ naktaṃ kuryājjitendriyaḥ | ayācitaṃ caturdaśyāṃ hyupavāsena pūrṇimām

Translation

แต่หากไม่อาจถืออุปวาสเต็มในวันตรีโยทศี ก็พึงสำรวมอินทรีย์แล้วทำ “นักตะ” คือฉันเพียงครั้งเดียวในยามค่ำ; ในวันจตุรทศีให้รับอาหาร “อายาจิตะ” คือที่ได้มาโดยมิได้ขอ และในวันเพ็ญพึงถือศีลอด

Word by Word

• अशक्तः: unable
• अशक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-शक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (कर्ता)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• त्रयोदश्याम्: on the thirteenth (tithi)
• त्रयोदश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रयोदशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• नक्तम्: night-meal only (eating at night)
• नक्तम्: Karma/Adverbial (Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (रात्रौ भोजनम्)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• जितेन्द्रियः: self-controlled (having conquered the senses)
• जितेन्द्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित-इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक; जि (धातु) + क्त + इन्द्रिय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (जित) + तत्पुरुष (इन्द्रियाणि जितानि यस्य)

• अयाचितम्: unsolicited (without begging)
• अयाचितम्: Karma/Adverbial (Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-याचित (प्रातिपदिक; याच् (धातु) + क्त, नञ्-पूर्वक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (याचनाविना)

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (tithi)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• उपवासेन: by fasting
• उपवासेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• पूर्णिमाम्: (up to) the full-moon day
• पूर्णिमाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्णिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied same addressed woman; general instruction to devotees

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A self-controlled pilgrim in Prabhāsa: trayodaśī night-meal in simplicity, caturdaśī receiving unsolicited alms, culminating in pūrṇimā fast before the temple/sea.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma includes compassionate gradations—when full austerity is not possible, controlled alternatives preserve the vow’s spirit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The observance is situated in the Prabhāsa-kṣetra teaching cycle of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

If unable to fast fully: trayodaśī—nakta; caturdaśī—ayācita; pūrṇimā—upavāsa.