Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

दिव्यं वर्षसहस्रं स निराहारोऽभवत्ततः । द्वितीयं तु सहस्रं स न्यवसद्वारिभोजनः

Transliteration

divyaṃ varṣasahasraṃ sa nirāhāro'bhavattataḥ | dvitīyaṃ tu sahasraṃ sa nyavasadvāribhojanaḥ

Translation

Durant mille années divines, il demeura sans nourriture. Puis, durant un second millier, il ne subsista que d’eau.

Word by Word

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; adjective qualifying 'varṣasahasram'

• वर्ष-सहस्रम्: a thousand years
• वर्ष-सहस्रम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष — 'वर्षाणां सहस्रम्' (a thousand years)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• निराहारः: without food
• निराहारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नञ्/निर्-तत्पुरुष — 'आहाररहितः'

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 'became/was'

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — 'thereafter/from then'

• द्वितीयम्: a second
• द्वितीयम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; adjective qualifying 'sahasram'

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/conjunction) — 'but/and'

• सहस्रम्: a thousand
• सहस्रम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; 'a thousand (years)' (elliptic with varṣa)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• न्यवसत्: lived
• न्यवसत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+√वस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 'dwelt/lived'

• वारि-भोजनः: one who subsists on water
• वारि-भोजनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वारि (प्रातिपदिक) + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष — 'वारिणः भोजनम् यस्य' (water as food)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A time-lapse austerity tableau: Andhaka enduring a thousand divine years without food, then another thousand on water alone; seasons cycle around an unmoving ascetic by the river.

Characters & Entities

• Andhaka (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Extreme austerity amplifies spiritual potency; Purāṇas highlight that intensity alone is not the measure—dharma and intention determine the fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative remains on the Revā bank associated with the Śūlabheda-tīrtha account.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Austerities of fasting: first nirāhāra (no food), then vāribhojana (water-only).