Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

चांद्रायणानि कृच्छ्राणि तथा सांतपनानि च । प्राजापत्यानि चक्रेऽथ पाराकाणि तदग्रतः

Transliteration

cāṃdrāyaṇāni kṛcchrāṇi tathā sāṃtapanāni ca | prājāpatyāni cakre'tha pārākāṇi tadagrataḥ

Translation

他修行月行斋（Cāndrāyaṇa）、苦行（Kṛcchra）与熏炼苦行（Sāṃtapana）；又在彼主之前，进一步受持生主斋（Prājāpatya）与极严斋（Pārāka）。

Word by Word

• चांद्रायणानि: Cāndrāyaṇa penances
• चांद्रायणानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चांद्रायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) बहुवचनम्; व्रत-विशेषाः

• कृच्छ्राणि: Kṛcchra austerities
• कृच्छ्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) बहुवचनम्

• तथा: also; likewise
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/तुल्यतावाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम्

• सांतपनानि: Sāṃtapana penances
• सांतपनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांतपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• प्राजापत्यानि: Prājāpatya penances
• प्राजापत्यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राजापत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) बहुवचनम्

• चक्रे: performed; did
• चक्रे: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person); एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• अथ: then; next
• अथ: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भार्थक-निपातः

• पाराकाणि: Pārāka penances
• पाराकाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाराक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) बहुवचनम्

• तद्-अग्रतः: in front of him/there
• तद्-अग्रतः: Deśa (Location/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्यय; स्थानवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (in front of that/him)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration in Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Garuḍa performs successive austerities—Cāndrāyaṇa and severe kṛcchras—before the installed Lord, conveying rigorous self-restraint and ritual exactness.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• Śiva
• Cāndrāyaṇa
• Kṛcchra
• Sāṃtapana
• Prājāpatya
• Pārāka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purificatory austerities (tapas) and regulated vows, when performed with devotion before Śiva, are portrayed as powerful means to merit and divine favor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha context is Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya in this chapter, highlighting the merit of performing penances at the chapter’s Śiva-liṅga site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Cāndrāyaṇa, Kṛcchra, Sāṃtapana, Prājāpatya, and Pārāka—classical dhārmic penances/fasting regimens—performed in the deity’s presence.