Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

उपवासैर्व्रतैः कृत्स्नैश्चांद्रायणशतैस्तथा । षड्रात्रैश्च त्रिरात्रैश्च तीर्थादिगमनैः परैः

Transliteration

upavāsairvrataiḥ kṛtsnaiścāṃdrāyaṇaśataistathā | ṣaḍrātraiśca trirātraiśca tīrthādigamanaiḥ paraiḥ

Translation

即便以斋戒与圆满诸誓行，即便修行数百次月行苦行（Cāndrāyaṇa），以六夜誓、三夜誓，或行诸胜妙朝圣，前往诸圣渡处（tīrtha）等——那至上境界亦非轻易可得。

Word by Word

• उपवासैः: by fasts
• उपवासैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• व्रतैः: by vows/observances
• व्रतैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• कृत्स्नैः: complete/entire
• कृत्स्नैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्स्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying व्रतैः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• आन्द्रायणशतैः: by hundreds of Cāndrāyaṇa observances
• आन्द्रायणशतैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आन्द्रायणशत (प्रातिपदिक; आन्द्रायण + शत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘likewise’)

• षड्रात्रैः: by six-night rites
• षड्रात्रैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षड्रात्र (प्रातिपदिक; षट् + रात्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• त्रिरात्रैः: by three-night rites
• त्रिरात्रैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिरात्र (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि + रात्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• तीर्थादिगमनैः: by going to tīrthas and the like
• तीर्थादिगमनैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + आदि + गमन (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• परैः: supreme/excellent
• परैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying गमनैः)

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Devī/Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ascetics observing lunar-measured Cāndrāyaṇa, devotees fasting, and pilgrims setting out to multiple tīrthas—yet a subtle visual cue points toward the Somnātha liṅga as the true culmination.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Pārvatī)
• Cāndrāyaṇa
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerities, vows, and even extensive pilgrimages are insufficient by themselves to reach the highest goal without the special grace connected to the sacred site and its deity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), the sacred region associated with Someśa/Somānātha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Fasts (upavāsa), vows (vrata), Cāndrāyaṇa penance, and time-bound vows like trirātra and ṣaḍrātra, along with tīrtha-yātrā.