Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

अब्भक्षैर्वायुभक्षैश्च शीर्णपर्णाशिभिस्तथा । दन्तोलूखलिभिर्विप्रैः सेवितं चाश्मकुट्टकैः

Transliteration

abbhakṣairvāyubhakṣaiśca śīrṇaparṇāśibhistathā | dantolūkhalibhirvipraiḥ sevitaṃ cāśmakuṭṭakaiḥ

Translation

Jener heilige Wald wurde von Brahmanen strenger Gelübde aufgesucht: die einen lebten nur von Wasser, die anderen nur von Luft, wieder andere aßen nur herabgefallene Blätter; manche mahlten mit den Zähnen wie mit einem Mörser, und andere nährten sich von auf Stein zerstoßenem Korn—so wurde der Ort von asketischer Strenge getragen.

Word by Word

• अब्भक्षैः: by water-eaters (water-only ascetics)
• अब्भक्षैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्/अम्बु (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masc instrumental plural); तत्पुरुषः ‘अद्भिः भक्षः/भक्ष्यं येषां ते’ (usage as group-name)

• वायुभक्षैः: by air-eaters (living on air)
• वायुभक्षैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘वायुः भक्षः येषां ते’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• शीर्णपर्णाशिभिः: by those who eat fallen leaves
• शीर्णपर्णाशिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीर्ण (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + पर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + आशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘शीर्णानि पर्णानि आश्नन्ति ये’ (those who eat fallen leaves)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (adverb: likewise)

• दन्तोलूखलिभिः: by tooth-mortar (austere) ascetics
• दन्तोलूखलिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + उलूखलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘दन्तैः उलूखलवत् (कठोरतपसा) ये’ (epithet of ascetics)

• विप्रैः: by brahmins
• विप्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (masc instrumental plural)

• सेवितम्: frequented/served
• सेवितम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेव् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• अश्मकुट्टकैः: by stone-pounder ascetics
• अश्मकुट्टकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + कुट्टक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘अश्मानं कुट्टयन्ति ये’ (stone-pounders; a class of ascetics)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) — deductive attribution from Purāṇic narrative style in Māhātmya passages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ring of ascetics in a forest: one sipping only water, another in breath-control austerity, others gathering fallen leaves; a few grind grains on stone; faces lean, eyes bright, bodies disciplined.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (brahmin ascetics)
• Tapasvins (austere sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness is shown by the caliber of tapas practiced there—purity, restraint, and renunciation sanctify the land.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred forest-āśrama within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya (the precise named tīrtha appears later in the narrative).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a ritual act but ascetic disciplines: living on water, air, fallen leaves, and minimal food prepared by stone-pounding.