Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

वाय्वम्बुपिण्याकफलैश्च पुष्पैः पर्णैश्च मूलाशनयावकेन । तताप पञ्चाग्नितपोभिरुग्रैस्ततश्च तोषं समगात्स देवः

Transliteration

vāyvambupiṇyākaphalaiśca puṣpaiḥ parṇaiśca mūlāśanayāvakena | tatāpa pañcāgnitapobhirugraistataśca toṣaṃ samagātsa devaḥ

Translation

বায়ু, জল, পিণ্যাক, ফল, পুষ্প, পত্র, মূল ও যবকের (যবের পাতলা অন্ন) দ্বারা জীবনধারণ করে সে পঞ্চাগ্নির উগ্র তপস্যা করিল; তাতে সেই দেব (শিব) প্রসন্ন হলেন।

Word by Word

• वायु: air
• वायु: Karaṇa (Means; austerity by subsisting on)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (समाहार-तृतीया in list)

• अम्बु: water
• अम्बु: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: ambu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (in list)

• पिण्याकफलैः: with oil-cake fruits/edibles
• पिण्याकफलैः: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṇyāka + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘पिण्याकस्य फलानि’ (oil-cake fruits/edibles)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• पुष्पैः: with flowers
• पुष्पैः: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• पर्णैः: with leaves
• पर्णैः: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: parṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• मूलाशनयावकेन: with a diet of roots and barley-gruel
• मूलाशनयावकेन: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūla + aśana + yāvaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व); तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः—‘मूलाशन’ (root-eating) + ‘यावक’ (barley-gruel/diet)

• तताप: performed austerity
• तताप: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tap (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• पञ्चाग्नितपोभिः: by the five-fire austerities
• पञ्चाग्नितपोभिः: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca + agni + tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘पञ्चाग्नीनां तपः’ (austerity of five fires)

• उग्रैः: fierce
• उग्रैः: Karaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ugra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier of तपोभिः)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial: thereafter)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• तोषम्: satisfaction/pleasure
• तोषम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: toṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• समगात्: attained
• समगात्: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-gam (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

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

• देवः: the god/lord
• देवः: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; अपपद-विशेषण/उपाधि (apposition to सः)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīra (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic on a riverbank sits amid the pañcāgni: four fires around and the blazing sun above; he subsists on minimal offerings—air and water, small portions of fruits/roots/barley gruel—while performing intense penance until Śiva is pleased.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disciplined austerity and simplicity of living, when directed toward devotion, culminate in divine approval.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting remains the Revā/Narmadā tīrtha region, where such tapas bears exceptional fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pañcāgni-tapas (austerity with five fires) along with regulated ascetic diet and offerings.