Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

पुरा किल मुनिर्धीरो रैभ्यो नाम तपोधनः । चचार हिमवत्पार्श्वे निराहारो जितेन्द्रियः

Transliteration

purā kila munirdhīro raibhyo nāma tapodhanaḥ | cacāra himavatpārśve nirāhāro jitendriyaḥ

Translation

Einst gab es einen standhaften Weisen namens Raibhya, reich an Askese. Er wanderte an den Hängen des Himālaya umher, fastend und die Sinne bezwungen.

Word by Word

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘formerly’)

• kila: indeed/it is said
• kila: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kila (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; reportative/emphatic)

• muniḥ: a sage
• muniḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• dhīraḥ: steadfast
• dhīraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण—muniḥ

• raibhyaḥ: Raibhya
• raibhyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raibhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ऋषि-नाम

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Nāmadhāraṇa (Naming/नाम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् निपात-प्रयोगः; नामनिर्देशार्थ (particle: ‘by name’)

• tapodhanaḥ: one whose wealth is austerity
• tapodhanaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas + dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समासः—‘तपो धनं यस्य सः’

• cacāra: wandered
• cacāra: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √car (चर्, धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• himavatpārśve: on the side of Himavat
• himavatpārśve: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: himavat + pārśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (himavataḥ pārśvam)

• nirāhāraḥ: without food
• nirāhāraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir + āhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्गपूर्वक-निषेधार्थ विशेषण—‘आहाररहितः’

• jitendriyaḥ: one who has conquered the senses
• jitendriyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jita + indriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समासः—‘जितानि इन्द्रियाणि येन सः’

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narration style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lean, radiant sage Raibhya walks along a Himalayan slope, matted hair and bark-garments, eyes lowered in restraint; snow peaks and pine forests surround him; silence dominates.

Characters & Entities

• Raibhya (sage)
• Himavat (Himālaya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity, fasting, and sense-control are presented as the foundations of spiritual power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative context supports the māhātmya of nearby kuṇḍas (Yoginīkuṇḍa/Urvaśīkuṇḍa), though this verse itself shifts to an illustrative legend.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it describes the sage’s discipline (nirāhāra, jitendriya).