Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 102

Devanagari script

निर्द्वन्द्वो निर्भयो भूत्वा निराहारो ह्यहर्निशम् । सव्येन पाणिना सव्यं निर्मथ्योरुमहं पुनः

Transliteration

nirdvandvo nirbhayo bhūtvā nirāhāro hyaharniśam | savyena pāṇinā savyaṃ nirmathyorumahaṃ punaḥ

Translation

Frei von Zögern und Furcht, fastend bei Tag und Nacht, begann er erneut, seinen linken Oberschenkel mit der linken Hand zu reiben.

Word by Word

• निर्द्वन्द्वः: free from dualities
• निर्द्वन्द्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + द्वन्द्व (प्रातिपदिक) → निर्द्वन्द्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• निर्भयः: fearless
• निर्भयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + भय (प्रातिपदिक) → निर्भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु) → भूत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकाल (having become)

• निराहारः: without food; fasting
• निराहारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक) → निराहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• अहर्निशम्: day and night
• अहर्निशम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहर् (प्रातिपदिक) + निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण; द्वन्द्व-समास (अहः + निशा) → ‘day and night’ (adverbially)

• सव्येन: with the left
• सव्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• पाणिना: with (the) hand
• पाणिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• सव्यम्: the left (side/part)
• सव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• निर्मथ्य: having churned/ground
• निर्मथ्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + √मथ् (धातु) → निर्मथ्य (ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having churned/ground’

• ऊरुम्: the thigh
• ऊरुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Narrator (describing Pippalāda’s sādhana)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śivāyatana (at Tuhinācala)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Fasting day and night, fearless and unwavering, the protagonist rubs/churns his left thigh with his left hand in a severe rite, preparing to manifest a Kṛtyā.

Characters & Entities

• Pippalāda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas is powerful, but its fruit depends on intention; austerity aimed at harm is portrayed as spiritually dangerous.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The action occurs within a sacred setting referenced earlier (Śiva’s precinct), embedded in the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Fasting (nirāhāra) and continuous practice (aharniśam) are described as part of a Kṛtyā-sādhana (not a recommended rite).