Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

पंचाग्निसाधका ग्रीष्मे हेमन्ते सलिलाश्रया । वर्षास्वाकाशशयना सा बभूव तपस्विनी

Transliteration

paṃcāgnisādhakā grīṣme hemante salilāśrayā | varṣāsvākāśaśayanā sā babhūva tapasvinī

Translation

Im Sommer übte sie die Disziplin der fünf Feuer; im Winter suchte sie Zuflucht im Wasser; und in der Regenzeit schlief sie unter freiem Himmel—so wurde sie zu einer wahrhaftigen Asketin.

Word by Word

• पञ्चाग्निसाधका: practising the five-fire austerity
• पञ्चाग्निसाधका: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चाग्निसाधक (प्रातिपदिक; पञ्च + अग्नि + साधक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सा इत्यस्य); तत्पुरुष (पञ्च अग्नयः यस्य साधनम्/साध्यं)

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

• हेमन्ते: in winter
• हेमन्ते: Adhikarana (Time locus/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेमन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन; कालाधिकरणे (in winter)

• सलिलाश्रया: taking refuge in water (staying in water)
• सलिलाश्रया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सलिलाश्रय (प्रातिपदिक; सलिल + आश्रय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सा इत्यस्य); तत्पुरुष (सलिलम् आश्रयः यस्याः)

• वर्षासु: in the rains
• वर्षासु: Adhikarana (Time locus/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; बहुवचन; कालाधिकरणे (in the rainy season)

• आकाशशयना: sleeping in the open sky
• आकाशशयना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आकाशशयन (प्रातिपदिक; आकाश + शयन)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सा इत्यस्य); तत्पुरुष (आकाशे शयनम् यस्याः)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• बभूव: became/was
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तपस्विनी: an ascetic woman
• तपस्विनी: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृपूरक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; गुणवाचक-नाम (ascetic woman)

Speaker

Narrator (within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; exact speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triptych-like seasonal depiction: summer—ascetic amid five fires; winter—standing/immersed in cold water; monsoon—lying under open sky with rain clouds, unwavering devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Pañcāgni-tapas (five fires austerity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion is shown through disciplined endurance across changing conditions, making tapas a lived, embodied practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The austerities are performed within the sacred-field (kṣetra) setting of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya, connected to Hāṭakeśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Seasonal austerities: pañcāgni in summer, water-discipline in winter, and open-sky sleeping during the rains.