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Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

निराहारः पंचतपा वर्षायुतमभूत्किल । ततः स्वदेहादुत्कृत्त्य कर्षंकर्षं दिनेदिने

Transliteration

nirāhāraḥ paṃcatapā varṣāyutamabhūtkila | tataḥ svadehādutkṛttya karṣaṃkarṣaṃ dinedine

Translation

En effet, il resta sans nourriture et pratiqua l'austérité des « cinq feux » pendant dix mille ans. Puis, jour après jour, il coupa de son propre corps une portion — un karṣa à la fois.

Word by Word
निराहारःwithout food, fasting
निराहारः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootनिर् (उपसर्ग) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (masculine nominative singular; adjective: without food)
पञ्चतपाःpractising the five-fire austerity
पञ्चतपाः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootपञ्च (संख्या) + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगुसमास; विशेषण (masc nom sg; ‘one who has five fires/austerities’)
वर्षायुतम्for ten thousand years
वर्षायुतम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootवर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + अयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालपरिमाणवाचक (neuter accusative singular; duration)
अभूत्was, became
अभूत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√भू (धातु), लङ् (परस्मैपद)
Formलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/इम्परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Imperfect, 3rd person singular, active)
किलindeed, it is said
किल:
Nipata (Particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकिल (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निश्चय/श्रुत्यर्थक निपात (particle: indeed/it is said)
ततःthen, thereafter
ततः:
Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
Formअव्यय; अपादान/क्रमवाचक (indeclinable adverb: then/from that)
स्वown
स्व:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootस्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमासपूर्वपद-रूपेण; स्वकीय (used as possessive ‘own’)
देहात्from (his) body
देहात्:
Apadana (Source/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootदेह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine ablative singular)
उत्कृत्त्यhaving cut out
उत्कृत्त्य:
Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootउत् (उपसर्ग) + √कृत्/कृन्त् (धातु ‘to cut’) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
Formक्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having cut out’
कर्षम्a karṣa-measure (portion)
कर्षम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक (masc acc sg; a karṣa measure)
कर्षम्(portion) by portion
कर्षम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for distributive sense)
दिनेin a day
दिने:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootदिन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter locative singular)
दिनेday after day
दिने:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootदिन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (locative repeated: day by day)
Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gaunt ascetic-daitya amid the pañcatapa: four blazing fires at the cardinal directions and the sun overhead; he stands or sits unmoving, emaciated from fasting; time is suggested by layered seasons passing.

Characters & Entities
P
Pañcatapas (five fires austerity)
K
Karṣa (measure)

FAQs

The Purāṇa underscores the formidable power of sustained austerity, while implicitly warning that power gained without dhārmic intent can disturb cosmic balance.

The tapas is performed at the Pāriyātra mountain cave, portrayed as an efficacious ascetic setting.

Fasting (nirāhāra) and pañcatapas are mentioned; the verse also depicts severe self-mortification (not a general dharma prescription).

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