Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

ऊर्ध्वबाहुनिरालम्बा आदित्यभ्रमणाः परे । सायंप्रातर्भुजश्चान्ये एकाहारास्तथा परे

Transliteration

ūrdhvabāhunirālambā ādityabhramaṇāḥ pare | sāyaṃprātarbhujaścānye ekāhārāstathā pare

Translation

Certains se tenaient debout, les bras levés, sans appui; d’autres observaient la discipline de tourner autour du soleil. Les uns ne mangeaient qu’au soir et au matin, et d’autres gardaient le vœu d’un seul repas par jour.

Word by Word

• ऊर्ध्व-बाहु-निरालम्बाः: with arms raised, without support
• ऊर्ध्व-बाहु-निरालम्बाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक) + bāhu (प्रातिपदिक) + nirālamba (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (परे/केचित् implied)

• आदित्य-भ्रमणाः: sun-gazers / those who revolve (in worship) of the sun
• आदित्य-भ्रमणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āditya (प्रातिपदिक) + bhramaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• परे: others
• परे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (others)

• सायम्: in the evening
• सायम्: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sāyam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (time adverb: evening)

• प्रातः: in the morning
• प्रातः: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prātaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (time adverb: morning)

• भुजः: eaters (those who eat)
• भुजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhuj (धातु) + a (कृत्/प्रातिपदिक-निर्माण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘भुज’ = eater (one who eats)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (others)

• एक-आहाराः: having one meal (a day)
• एक-आहाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + āhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक/समुच्चयार्थ (thus/likewise)

• परे: others
• परे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (tapas-sthāna)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence of ascetics: one standing with arms raised against the sky; another walking in a circular path around a sun-emblem or facing the sun in repeated circumambulation; others seated with simple bowls indicating restricted meals; dawn and sunset hues suggest prātaḥ-sāyam discipline.

Characters & Entities

• Āditya (Sun)
• Ṛṣis
• Revā (Narmadā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-restraint and disciplined austerity purify the practitioner and amplify the sanctity of a holy āśrama.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ascetics’ āśrama in the Revā Khaṇḍa region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas such as ūrdhva-bāhu observance, sun-circling austerity, regulated meals (twice daily), and ekāhāra.