Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

जलाहारः पञ्चशतवर्षाणि संबभूव ह । वर्षाणां वायुभक्षोऽभूत्ततो दशशतानि च

Transliteration

jalāhāraḥ pañcaśatavarṣāṇi saṃbabhūva ha | varṣāṇāṃ vāyubhakṣo'bhūttato daśaśatāni ca

Translation

Fünfhundert Jahre lebte er allein von Wasser; dann nährte er sich von Luft (nur vom Atem) weitere tausend Jahre.

Word by Word

• जलाहारः: water-diet
• जलाहारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जलस्य आहारः = water as food)

• पञ्चशतवर्षाणि: five hundred years
• पञ्चशतवर्षाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या) + शत (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (पञ्चशतानि वर्षाणि = five hundred years) कालपरिमाणे

• संबभूव: continued/was (so)
• संबभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ह: indeed/forsooth
• ह: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्मरण/वृत्तान्तसूचक निपात (particle, narrative emphasis)

• वर्षाणाम्: of years
• वर्षाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; कालपरिमाणस्य सम्बन्धे (of years)

• वायुभक्षः: air-diet / one who feeds on air
• वायुभक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वायोः भक्षः = air-eater)

• अभूत्: became/was
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/हेतुवाचक (then/thereafter)

• दशशतानि: a thousand (ten hundreds)
• दशशतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (संख्या) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (दश शतानि = ten hundreds) कालपरिमाणे

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-parvata (tapas-bhūmi)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (Naimiṣāraṇya assembly implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A time-lapse tableau: Vasiṣṭha seated immovable on a rock ledge, first with a small water pot, then with no food at all—only controlled breath; subtle aura around him, animals and trees undisturbed, emphasizing yogic mastery.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text exalts unwavering austerity and mastery over bodily needs as a path that draws divine response.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda āśrama setting is sanctified through Vasiṣṭha’s extraordinary tapas, forming part of the site’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Severe tapas through jalāhāra (water-only) and vāyubhakṣa (air-only) modes of ascetic discipline.