Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

त्रिस्नाता पाटलापत्रभक्षकाभूच्छतं समाः । शंत च बिल्वपत्रेण शीर्णोन कृतभोजना

Transliteration

trisnātā pāṭalāpatrabhakṣakābhūcchataṃ samāḥ | śaṃta ca bilvapatreṇa śīrṇona kṛtabhojanā

Translation

她每日三次沐浴，以食帕塔拉叶而度百年；又复百年，以毕尔瓦叶自持——枯萎之叶，不受寻常熟食。

Word by Word

• tri-snātā: having bathed thrice
• tri-snātā: Visheshana (of kṛtabhojanā/pārvatī)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (त्रि-प्रातिपदिक) + snāta (स्नात-प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (त्रिः स्नाता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; 'thrice-bathed'

• pāṭalā-patra-bhakṣakā: one who ate pāṭalā leaves
• pāṭalā-patra-bhakṣakā: Visheshana (of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāṭalā (पाटला) + patra (पत्र) + bhakṣaka (भक्षक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पाटलायाः पत्राणि भक्ष्यं यस्याः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• abhūt: was/became
• abhūt: Kriya (main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: लङ् (भूतकाल); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• śatam: a hundred
• śatam: Kala (duration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (शत-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक (for duration)

• samāḥ: years
• samāḥ: Kala (time span)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samā (समा-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; कालवाचक (years)

• śāntā: calm
• śāntā: Visheshana (of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śānta (शान्त-प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (शम् धातोः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; 'calm/appeased'

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (च-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• bilva-patreṇa: with a bilva leaf
• bilva-patreṇa: Karana (instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bilva (बिल्व) + patra (पत्र)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन; करण

• śīrṇa: withered
• śīrṇa: Visheshana (of kṛtabhojanā)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śṝ (शॄ धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; 'withered/decayed' (text uncertain)

• una: deficient/scant
• una: Visheshana (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: una (ऊन-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक/स्त्री; here स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; 'less/deficient' (text uncertain: śīrṇona = śīrṇa + ūna)

• kṛta-bhojanā: having taken food
• kṛta-bhojanā: Karta (subject descriptor)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (कृत) + bhojanā (भोजना)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; 'having made food/ having eaten'

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) narrating (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Himavat-śṛṅga (stream/ablution spot within tapovana)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī at a mountain stream bathing morning-noon-evening; later seated with a small bundle of pāṭalā leaves, then bilva leaves; her body becomes lean, yet her gaze remains steady and luminous.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Bilva
• Pāṭalā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady austerity over long time—simplicity in food and disciplined bathing—purifies and strengthens spiritual resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Himalayan tapas setting; no separate tīrtha-name is provided.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tri-snānā (thrice-daily bathing) and austere dietary vows (leaf-sustenance, avoidance of cooked food) are described.