Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

अनशनेन यत्पुण्यं प्रयागे त्यजतस्तनुम् । द्वादश्यां निमिषार्द्धेन तत्फलं कृष्णसन्निधौ

Transliteration

anaśanena yatpuṇyaṃ prayāge tyajatastanum | dvādaśyāṃ nimiṣārddhena tatphalaṃ kṛṣṇasannidhau

Translation

پریاگ میں روزہ رکھ کر دوادشی کے دن بدن چھوڑنے سے جو پُنّیہ ملتا ہے، وہی پھل شری کرشن کی حضوری میں آدھے لمحے میں حاصل ہوتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• अनशनेन: by fasting
• अनशनेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• यत्: which/whatever
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative) — ‘whatever/that which’

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object implied/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; यत् इत्यस्य विशेष्य

• प्रयागे: at Prayāga
• प्रयागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• त्यजतः: of (one) abandoning
• त्यजतः: Sambandha (Genitive agent/षष्ठी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘of one who is giving up’

• तनुम्: the body
• तनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• द्वादश्याम्: on the Dvādaśī (12th lunar day)
• द्वादश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (काल-अधिकरण), एकवचन

• निमिषार्द्धेन: in half a moment
• निमिषार्द्धेन: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमिष + अर्द्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: निमिषस्य अर्द्धम्)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘that’ (correlative)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Result/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत् इत्यस्य विशेष्य

• कृष्णसन्निधौ: in the presence of Krishna
• कृष्णसन्निधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: कृष्णस्य सन्निधिः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvāravatī (Dvārakā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at Dvārakā on Dvādaśī stands before Kṛṣṇa’s sanctum; the ocean-city and temple spire behind, while a faint, distant vignette shows Prayāga’s confluence and an ascetic’s severe fast—contrasted with the immediacy of Kṛṣṇa’s presence.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• Kṛṣṇa
• Dvārakā
• Dvādaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse proclaims the extraordinary potency of Kṛṣṇa’s presence: the merit of severe austerity and even death at a famed tīrtha is said to be swiftly attained by devotion in Kṛṣṇa-sannidhi, especially on Dvādaśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā (Kṛṣṇa-sannidhi) is glorified as supremely merit-giving; Prayāga is referenced as a benchmark tīrtha for comparison.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Anaśana (fasting) is mentioned, and the timing emphasized is Dvādaśī; the teaching highlights the amplified fruit of vrata-like observance when oriented to Kṛṣṇa’s presence.