Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

ऊर्ज्जे यवान्नमश्नीयादेकान्नमथवा पुनः । वृन्ताकं सूरणं चैव शूकशिंबीं च वर्जयेत्

Transliteration

ūrjje yavānnamaśnīyādekānnamathavā punaḥ | vṛntākaṃ sūraṇaṃ caiva śūkaśiṃbīṃ ca varjayet

Translation

اُرجا (کارتک) میں جو کا اناج کھانا چاہیے، یا پھر دن میں ایک ہی بار کھانا اختیار کرنا چاہیے۔ بینگن، سورن (ہاتھی پاؤں یام) اور پھلیوں والی دالیں/لوبیا سے پرہیز کرنا چاہیے۔

Word by Word

• ūrjje: in Ūrja (Kārttika month)
• ūrjje: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ūrjja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण (in the month Ūrja = Kārttika)

• yava-annam: barley-food
• yava-annam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yava (प्रातिपदिक) + anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘barley’ + ‘food’); भक्षण-कर्म

• aśnīyāt: should eat
• aśnīyāt: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: aś (अश् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; विधि ‘should eat’

• eka-annam: one meal (single food)
• eka-annam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘single’ + ‘meal/food’); विकल्पे

• athavā: or
• athavā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: athavā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• punaḥ: again/alternatively
• punaḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, पुनरुक्ति/पुनरर्थ (adverb: again/alternatively)

• vṛntākam: eggplant
• vṛntākam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛntāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; वर्ज्य-वस्तु

• sūraṇam: elephant-foot yam
• sūraṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; वर्ज्य-वस्तु

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphasis)

• śūka-śiṃbīm: śūka-bean/pod (a kind of legume)
• śūka-śiṃbīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūka (प्रातिपदिक) + śiṃbī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (determinative; a kind of pod/bean associated with ‘śūka’); वर्ज्य-वस्तु

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• varjayet: should avoid
• varjayet: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛj/varj (वर्ज् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; निषेधविधि ‘should avoid’

Speaker

Deductive: a Purāṇic narrator/teacher within Brahmakhaṇḍa (speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vrata-observer in simple attire eats a modest barley meal once a day; nearby, forbidden vegetables are set aside; a Kārttika lamp and prayer beads indicate ongoing observance.

Characters & Entities

• Ūrja (Kārttika)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vrata is embodied discipline: regulating food in sacred time trains restraint and supports devotional focus.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse focuses on Kārttika/Ūrja observance rules.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

During Ūrja (Kārttika), eat barley-based food or keep a single-meal regimen, and avoid eggplant, elephant-foot yam, and podded legumes.