Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

महापाराकिणश्चान्ये तथा मासोपवासिनः । अश्मकुट्टाशिनश्चान्ये दन्तोलूखलिकास्तथा

Transliteration

mahāpārākiṇaścānye tathā māsopavāsinaḥ | aśmakuṭṭāśinaścānye dantolūkhalikāstathā

Translation

D’autres pratiquaient la grande austérité du Pārāka ; d’autres observaient des jeûnes d’un mois. Certains ne mangeaient que ce qui était pilé sur la pierre, et d’autres suivaient l’austérité du « dent et mortier », ne vivant que de ce qu’ils pouvaient broyer avec leurs propres dents.

Word by Word

• महापाराकिणः: performers of great ‘pārāka’ austerity
• महापाराकिणः: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापाराकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—महापाराकिन् (कर्मधारयः: ‘महान् पाराकः/पाराक-तपः यस्य’)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम-प्रयोग

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

• मासोपवासिनः: those who fast for a month
• मासोपवासिनः: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मास + उपवासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—मास-उपवासिन् (तत्पुरुषः: ‘मासं उपवासं कुर्वन्ति’)

• अश्मकुट्टाशिनः: those who eat (food) pounded with a stone
• अश्मकुट्टाशिनः: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अश्म + कुट्ट + आशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—अश्म-कुट्ट-आशिन् (तत्पुरुषः: ‘अश्मना कुट्टं (कुट्टितं) अश्नन्ति’)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम-प्रयोग

• दन्तोलूखलिकाः: those who pound (food) with their teeth (as with a mortar)
• दन्तोलूखलिकाः: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दन्त + उलूखलिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—दन्त-उलूखलिक (तत्पुरुषः: ‘दन्तैः उलूखलिकावत् (कुट्टनं) कुर्वन्ति’/‘दन्तेन कुट्टितं भुञ्जते’)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) [deduced]

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ascetics with emaciated yet radiant bodies: one engaged in long fast, another with stone-mortar food preparation, another symbolically ‘tooth-mortar’ grinding; the setting is stark, with a sacred fire and minimal possessions.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred site is portrayed as a magnet for intense tapas, where extreme self-discipline is honored as a path to puṇya and inner purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The austerity-filled environment is part of the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra narrative in Adhyāya 179.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mahā-Pārāka penance, month-long fasting, and severe dietary austerities (stone-pounded food; ‘tooth-mortar’ subsistence).