Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

वर्षास्वाकाशशायी च हेमंते जलसंश्रयः । पंचाग्निसाधको ग्रीष्मे निराहारो जितेन्द्रियः

Transliteration

varṣāsvākāśaśāyī ca hemaṃte jalasaṃśrayaḥ | paṃcāgnisādhako grīṣme nirāhāro jitendriyaḥ

Translation

In der Regenzeit lag er unter freiem Himmel; im Winter suchte er das Wasser auf; im Sommer übte er die Askese der fünf Feuer—fastend, die Sinne bezwungen.

Word by Word

• वर्षासु: in the rains
• वर्षासु: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣā (वर्षा-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन — 'in the rainy seasons'

• आकाशशायी: sleeping under the open sky
• आकाशशायी: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ākāśa + śāyin (आकाश-प्रातिपदिक + शायिन्-प्रातिपदिक from √śī/शी)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ākāśe śāyī) — 'one who lies/sleeps in the open sky'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction) — 'and'

• हेमन्ते: in winter
• हेमन्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hemanta (हेमन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — 'in winter'

• जलसंश्रयः: resorting to water
• जलसंश्रयः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jala + saṃśraya (जल-प्रातिपदिक + संश्रय-प्रातिपदिक from sam-√śri/श्रि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (jale saṃśrayaḥ) — 'one who resorts to water'

• पंचाग्निसाधकः: performing the five-fire penance
• पंचाग्निसाधकः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca + agni + sādhaka (पञ्च + अग्नि + साधक-प्रातिपदिक from √sādh/साध्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः — 'practiser of the five-fire austerity'

• ग्रीष्मे: in summer
• ग्रीष्मे: Adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grīṣma (ग्रीष्म-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — 'in summer'

• निराहारः: fasting
• निराहारः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-āhāra (निर्-उपसर्ग + आहार-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्/निर्-तत्पुरुषभाव — 'without food, fasting'

• जितेन्द्रियः: self-controlled
• जितेन्द्रियः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jita + indriya (जित-प्रातिपदिक from √ji/जि + इन्द्रिय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (jitāni indriyāṇi yasya) — 'one whose senses are conquered/controlled'

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator in Tīrthamāhātmya context; specific speaker not stated in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triptych-like depiction across seasons: monsoon—ascetic lying under open sky; winter—standing/sitting in water; summer—seated amid four fires with the sun overhead, fasting and composed.

Characters & Entities

• Pañcāgni (five fires austerity)
• Varṣā (rains)
• Hemaṃta (winter)
• Grīṣma (summer)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadfast austerity across changing seasons symbolizes unwavering resolve; sense-control and self-denial are portrayed as catalysts for divine manifestation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The austerities are performed in the same implied kṣetra of the adhyāya; the verse itself does not name a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Seasonal tapas: open-sky sleeping in rains, water-austerity in winter, pañcāgni-sādhana in summer, along with fasting and indriya-jaya.