Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

पराकेणानयत्कालं कृच्छ्रेणापि च मानद । चान्द्रायणेन चाप्यन्यमन्यं वाय्वम्बुभोजनः

Transliteration

parākeṇānayatkālaṃ kṛcchreṇāpi ca mānada | cāndrāyaṇena cāpyanyamanyaṃ vāyvambubhojanaḥ

Translation

Ô dispensateur d’honneur, il fit passer le temps par le vœu de Parāka et aussi par l’austérité de Kṛcchra ; et, à d’autres moments, il observa le Cāndrāyaṇa, ne vivant que d’air et d’eau.

Word by Word

• पराकेण: by the Parāka penance
• पराकेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पराक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘पराक’ इति तपोविशेषः (fast/penance)

• अनयत्: spent/led
• अनयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• कालम्: time
• कालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• कृच्छ्रेण: by the Kṛcchra penance
• कृच्छ्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; तपोविशेषः

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (particle: also/even)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• मानद: O giver of honor (epithet)
• मानद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधनपद

• चान्द्रायणेन: by the Cāndrāyaṇa penance
• चान्द्रायणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चान्द्रायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; तपोविशेषः

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (particle: also)

• अन्यम्: another (portion)
• अन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘कालम्’ (अनुक्त) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अन्यम्: yet another
• अन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; पुनरुक्त्या ‘अन्यं अन्यं’ = ‘one after another’

• वाय्वम्बुभोजनः: one whose sustenance is air and water
• वाय्वम्बुभोजनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बु (प्रातिपदिक) + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व/तत्पुरुषसमास-सम्भवः: वायुश्च अम्बु च (वाय्वम्बु) तयोः भोजनं यस्य; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; likely Sūta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed as ‘mānada’ (honor-giver)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ascetic cycles through severe vows—Parāka and Kṛcchra—then observes Cāndrāyaṇa aligned with lunar phases, at times sustaining himself only on air and water, seated in meditation by the river.

Characters & Entities

• Parāka (vrata)
• Kṛcchra (tapas)
• Cāndrāyaṇa (vrata)
• Kubera (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma praises disciplined vows undertaken over time, showing that sustained tapas refines the seeker and draws divine grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha setting continues to be the sacred saṅgama, where such vows are practiced.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of Parāka, Kṛcchra, and Cāndrāyaṇa vratas, including extreme restraint described as living on air and water.