Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

त्रिरात्रोपोषितः स्नातस्त्रिकालं नियतात्मवान् । तेन तस्माद्विनिर्मुक्तः पातकात्पूर्वसंचितात्

Transliteration

trirātropoṣitaḥ snātastrikālaṃ niyatātmavān | tena tasmādvinirmuktaḥ pātakātpūrvasaṃcitāt

Translation

เขาอดอาหารสามราตรี แล้วอาบน้ำชำระตามวัตรสามเวลา ด้วยจิตสำรวม; ด้วยเหตุนี้จึงพ้นจากบาปที่สั่งสมมาแต่ก่อน

Word by Word

• त्रिरात्रोपोषितः: having fasted for three nights
• त्रिरात्रोपोषितः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि-रात्र-उपोषित (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि + रात्र + उपोषित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृदन्त (उप+वस्/उपोष्? ‘उपोषित’ = उपवासं कृतवान्), तत्पुरुषसमास (त्रिरात्रं उपोषितः)

• स्नातः: having bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• त्रिकालम्: at the three times (daily)
• त्रिकालम्: Avyaya (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रि-काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगुसमास (त्रयः कालाः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन—क्रियाविशेषण (at the three times)

• नियतात्मवान्: self-controlled
• नियतात्मवान्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियत-आत्मन्-वत् (प्रातिपदिक; नियत + आत्मन् + वत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिसमास (‘यस्य आत्मा नियतः’)

• तेन: by that (practice)
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तस्मात्: from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विनिर्मुक्तः: freed
• विनिर्मुक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+निर्+मुच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पातकात्: from sin
• पातकात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• पूर्वसंचितात्: previously accumulated
• पूर्वसंचितात्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व-संचित (प्रातिपदिक; पूर्व + संचित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमास (‘पूर्वं संचितम्’), कृदन्त (क्त)

Speaker

Narrator (third-person)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prācī Sarasvatī

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A penitent stands waist-deep in the river at dawn, noon, and dusk across three days; the sun’s changing positions mark the trikāla rhythm. He appears thinner from fasting, yet luminous, with calm eyes and folded hands after each bath.

Characters & Entities

• Prācī Sarasvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is strengthened when external rites (snāna) are joined with inner discipline (niyama) and sustained austerity (upavāsa).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The practices are performed at the Prācī Sarasvatī tīrtha in Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A three-night fast (trirātra upoṣa), bathing, and tri-kāla observance (three daily times) are specified.