Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

यावदब्दसहस्रेण निराहारेण वै फलम् । त्यजता प्राप्तमाहारं लब्धं ते क्षणमात्रतः

Transliteration

yāvadabdasahasreṇa nirāhāreṇa vai phalam | tyajatā prāptamāhāraṃ labdhaṃ te kṣaṇamātrataḥ

Translation

“Quả báo đạt được do nhịn ăn không thọ thực suốt một ngàn năm—chỉ bằng việc từ bỏ phần ăn đã đến tay ngươi, ngươi đã đạt được ngay trong khoảnh khắc.”

Word by Word

• यावत्: as much as / as long as
• यावत्: Kāla/Parimāṇa (Extent)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययप्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative adverb: 'as much/as long as')

• अब्दसहस्रेण: by/with a thousand years
• अब्दसहस्रेण: Karana (Instrument/Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्द (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular); समासः—तत्पुरुष (अब्दानां सहस्रम्)

• निराहारेण: by fasting (without food)
• निराहारेण: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular); 'निराहार' = उपवास (fasting)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Emphasis (Nipāta)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/emphasis)

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• त्यजता: by (one) abandoning
• त्यजता: Kartr̥/Agent-instrumental (कर्ता-तृतीया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), परस्मैपदी; तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular), पुंलिङ्ग (masc.)

• प्राप्तम्: obtained, attained
• प्राप्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र (उपसर्ग) + आप् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण

• आहारम्: food
• आहारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• लब्धम्: was obtained
• लब्धम्: Kriya (Result state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• ते: for you / of you
• ते: Sampradana/Relation (to you/for you)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Gen./Dat.), एकवचन (singular); सर्वनाम

• क्षणमात्रतः: in just a moment
• क्षणमात्रतः: Kāla (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) तद्धितान्त -तस्; समासः—तत्पुरुष (क्षणस्य मात्रम्) + तस्

Speaker

Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā declares a paradoxical equivalence: a thousand-year fast’s fruit gained in a moment by giving up food that had arrived; the Daitya is shown near food, hesitating, then withdrawing his hand.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner resolve and timely renunciation can yield the merit of long austerities; sincerity can compress spiritual ‘time’.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse praises the power of renunciation as tapas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Fasting/food-renunciation (nirāhāra, āhāra-tyāga) is referenced as an austerity, though without a formal vrata sequence.