Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

तस्थुस्तत्र सदा होमं कुर्वन्तो जाप्यमुत्तमम् । एकाहारा निराहारा वायुभक्षास्तथा परे

Transliteration

tasthustatra sadā homaṃ kurvanto jāpyamuttamam | ekāhārā nirāhārā vāyubhakṣāstathā pare

Translation

Sie blieben dort und vollzogen unablässig Homa (Feueropfer) sowie das erhabenste Japa. Manche nahmen nur eine Mahlzeit zu sich, manche gar keine, und andere lebten allein vom Atem, vom Luftigen.

Word by Word

• तस्थुः: they stayed/stood
• तस्थुः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (locative adverb)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (temporal adverb)

• होमम्: fire-offering (homa)
• होमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• कुर्वन्तः: doing/performing
• कुर्वन्तः: Karta (Agent participle qualifying subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्तः (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्

• जाप्यम्: japa/recitation
• जाप्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाप्य (प्रातिपदिक; जप् धातोः यत्/ण्यत्-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘जाप्यम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• एक-आहाराः: having one meal (a day)
• एक-आहाराः: Visheshana (Qualifier of ‘pare/te’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; द्विगु/तत्पुरुषार्थः (एकः आहारः येषाम्)

• निर्-आहाराः: without food (fasting)
• निर्-आहाराः: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (आहार-रहिताः)

• वायु-भक्षाः: living on air
• वायु-भक्षाः: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वायोः भक्षः/वायुभक्षाः = ‘air-eaters’)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

• परे: others
• परे: Karta (Subject subset)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda (Arbudācala) tapo-bhūmi

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of Nāga-ascetics stationed on a mountain hermitage plateau, maintaining a perpetual sacred fire; some sit in japa with rosaries, others remain emaciated from fasting; the atmosphere is austere, smoky, and luminous with firelight.

Characters & Entities

• Homa
• Japa
• Caṇḍikā (context)
• Nāgāḥ (implied)
• Arbuda (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Intense tapas—supported by japa and homa—purifies and prepares the devotee for divine grace and release.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda is the setting where sustained homa, japa, and austerities are portrayed as especially efficacious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular homa, excellent japa, and ascetic food disciplines (ekāhāra, nirāhāra, vāyu-bhakṣa).