Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

ऋषिर्मंकणको नाम स तेपे परमं तपः । प्राचीमेत्य यताहारो नित्यं स्वाध्यायतत्परः

Transliteration

ṛṣirmaṃkaṇako nāma sa tepe paramaṃ tapaḥ | prācīmetya yatāhāro nityaṃ svādhyāyatatparaḥ

Translation

كان هناك رِشي يُدعى مَنْكَṇَكَة؛ قد أجرى أسمى أنواع التَّبَس (الزهد والرياضة). ولمّا قصد جهة الشرق، ضابطًا طعامه، كان مواظبًا على السْفادْهْيَايَا—الدراسة المقدّسة والتلاوة.

Word by Word

• ऋषिः: a sage
• ऋषिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मंकणकः: Maṃkaṇaka
• मंकणकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṃkaṇaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: नामार्थक-अव्यय (named)

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

• तेपे: performed (austerity)
• तेपे: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• परमम्: supreme; great
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying tapaḥ)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• प्राचीम्: to the east
• प्राचीम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prācī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; दिशावाचक-नाम (eastward direction)

• इत्य: having gone
• इत्य: Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृत्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-कृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): ‘having gone’

• यताहारः: restrained in diet
• यताहारः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yata-āhāra (प्रातिपदिक; yata + āhāra)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying saḥ/ṛṣiḥ)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nityam (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (always)

• स्वाध्यायतत्परः: devoted to self-study (Vedic recitation)
• स्वाध्यायतत्परः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svādhyāya-tatpara (प्रातिपदिक; svādhyāya + tatpara)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (devoted to svādhyāya)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced: continuing narration to Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṃkīśvara area (tapas-bhūmi of Maṅkaṇaka)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Maṅkaṇaka in a forested riverbank hermitage, seated in meditation with kuśa grass and a water-pot; dawn light from the east; subtle aura of accumulated tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Maṅkaṇaka (ṛṣi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A disciplined life—tapas, regulated food, and svādhyāya—is portrayed as the foundation of spiritual power and purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Prabhāsa-kṣetra context frames the story, though this verse highlights the sage’s ascetic setting rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Svādhyāya (regular sacred study/recitation) and dietary restraint (yatāhāra) are indicated as core disciplines.