Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

तपश्चचार विपुलं नर्मदातटमाश्रितः । ग्रीष्मे पञ्चाग्निमध्यस्थो वर्षासु स्थण्डिलेशयः

Transliteration

tapaścacāra vipulaṃ narmadātaṭamāśritaḥ | grīṣme pañcāgnimadhyastho varṣāsu sthaṇḍileśayaḥ

Translation

Am Ufer der Narmadā verweilend, übte er reiche Askese: im Sommer vollzog er die Buße der fünf Feuer, und in der Regenzeit lag er auf dem bloßen Boden.

Word by Word

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (कर्मरूपे)

• चकार: performed
• चकार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विपुलम्: abundant, great
• विपुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तपः)

• नर्मदातटम्: the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदातटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘नर्मदायाः तटम्’

• आश्रितः: having resorted to/dwelling at
• आश्रितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√श्रि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषणम् (महामुनिः)

• ग्रीष्मे: in summer
• ग्रीष्मे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रीष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (कालाधिकरण)

• पञ्चाग्निमध्यस्थः: standing amid five fires
• पञ्चाग्निमध्यस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + अग्नि + मध्य + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘पञ्चानां अग्नीनां मध्ये स्थः’ (standing amid five fires)

• वर्षासु: in the rainy seasons
• वर्षासु: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन (कालाधिकरण)

• स्थण्डिलेशयः: sleeping on the ground
• स्थण्डिलेशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थण्डिल + शय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘स्थण्डिले शयः’ (sleeping on bare ground)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-taṭa

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unknown

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the Narmadā bank, the sage performs pañcāgni: four fires around and the sun overhead; later, monsoon clouds pour as he lies on bare earth (sthāṇḍila), body still, mind unwavering. The river flows beside as witness.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Pañcāgni-tapas
• Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana (Vyāsa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places amplify disciplined tapas; the Narmadā’s bank is shown as a powerful setting for purification and realization.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā riverbank is presented as an ascetic seat (tapas-sthāna) of great merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pañcāgni-tapas in summer and sthaṇḍila-śayana (sleeping on the ground) in the rainy season are specified austerities.