Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

उपवासेन कृच्छ्रेण शाकाहारेण याति यः । स याति सुन्दरीवृन्दैर्वीज्यमानो गणैर्दिवि

Transliteration

upavāsena kṛcchreṇa śākāhāreṇa yāti yaḥ | sa yāti sundarīvṛndairvījyamāno gaṇairdivi

Translation

جو روزہ رکھ کر، کِرِچھر ورت (سخت ریاضت) کے ساتھ، یا ساگ سبزی کی غذا پر چلتا ہے، وہ آسمان میں حسین دوشیزاؤں کے جھرمٹ سے پنکھا جھلایا جاتا ہوا اور شیو کے گنوں کی معیت میں جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• उपवासेन: by fasting
• उपवासेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental, 3rd case), एकवचन

• कृच्छ्रेण: with austerity / hardship
• कृच्छ्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental, 3rd), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावेन ‘कृच्छ्रेण’ = कठिनव्रतेन

• शाकाहारेण: by a vegetarian diet
• शाकाहारेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental, 3rd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शाकस्य आहारः)

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सुन्दरीवृन्दैः: by groups of beautiful women
• सुन्दरीवृन्दैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुन्दरी + वृन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental, 3rd), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सुन्दरीणां वृन्दैः)

• वीज्यमानः: being fanned
• वीज्यमानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीज् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि कृदन्तः (Present passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘वीज्यते’ इति

• गणैः: by attendants / hosts
• गणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental, 3rd), बहुवचन

• दिवि: in heaven
• दिवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative, 7th), एकवचन; ‘द्यौः’ इत्यस्य सप्तमी

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhūpati (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An austere pilgrim, thin from fasting, walks steadfastly; in the heavenly realm he is welcomed—gaṇas attend him and beautiful maidens fan him with cāmara, indicating honor and arrival in a divine court.

Characters & Entities

• kṛcchra (austerity)
• gaṇas (Śiva’s attendants)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity undertaken for dharma is honored; self-denial becomes spiritual capital that elevates the pilgrim.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra, through the promised fruits for those who travel there with austerities.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Travel while observing upavāsa (fasting), kṛcchra (austerity), or śākāhāra (greens/vegetarian restraint).