Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

पुरा कृतयुगस्यादौ तोषितुं गिरिजापतिम् । तपश्चचार विपुलं विष्णुर्वर्षसहस्रकम् । वायुभक्षो निराहारः शुक्लतीर्थे व्यवस्थितः

Transliteration

purā kṛtayugasyādau toṣituṃ girijāpatim | tapaścacāra vipulaṃ viṣṇurvarṣasahasrakam | vāyubhakṣo nirāhāraḥ śuklatīrthe vyavasthitaḥ

Translation

Autrefois, au commencement du Kṛta Yuga, afin de réjouir le Seigneur de Girijā (Śiva), Viṣṇu accomplit d’immenses austérités durant mille ans. Ne se nourrissant que d’air, sans aucune nourriture, il demeura établi au Śukla-tīrtha.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly/once
• पुरा: Adverbial (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• कृतयुगस्य: of the Kṛta-yuga
• कृतयुगस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत + युग (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• आदौ: at the beginning
• आदौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (at the beginning)

• तोषितुम्: to please
• तोषितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive); प्रयोजन (purpose)

• गिरिजापतिम्: the lord of Girijā (Śiva)
• गिरिजापतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरिजा + पति (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• चकार: performed
• चकार: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), उत्तमपुरुष? (actually 3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; 'did/performed'

• विपुलम्: great/abundant
• विपुलम्: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणं तपः-शब्दस्य

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता

• वर्षसहस्रकम्: (for) a thousand years
• वर्षसहस्रकम्: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष + सहस्रक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; परिमाण/कालमान (for a thousand years)

• वायुभक्षः: air-eating (living on air)
• वायुभक्षः: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वायु + भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—'whose food is air'; विष्णोः विशेषणम्

• निराहारः: without food
• निराहारः: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'without food'; विष्णोः विशेषणम्

• शुक्लतीर्थे: at Śukla-tīrtha
• शुक्लतीर्थे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• व्यवस्थितः: stationed/remaining
• व्यवस्थितः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तरि—'having stayed/being stationed'

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śukla-tīrtha

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (continuing addressee)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Śukla-tīrtha, Viṣṇu stands or sits in deep austerity for a thousand years, sustained only by air, intent on pleasing Girijāpati; the tīrtha landscape is bright and pure (śukla).

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Śiva
• Girijā
• Kṛta Yuga
• Śuklatīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great tīrthas are sanctified by extraordinary tapas and by the meeting of devotion and divine grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śuklatīrtha on the Revā/Narmadā sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas and fasting (nirāhāra), including vāyubhakṣa discipline, are described as Viṣṇu’s practice.