Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

हेमंते जलमध्यस्था सा बभूव तपस्विनी । पंचाग्निसाधका ग्रीष्मे सा बभूव यशस्विनी

Transliteration

hemaṃte jalamadhyasthā sā babhūva tapasvinī | paṃcāgnisādhakā grīṣme sā babhūva yaśasvinī

Translation

En hiver, l’ascète demeura au milieu de l’eau, immergée. En été, elle pratiqua l’austérité des cinq feux (pañcāgni) et devint renommée.

Word by Word

• हेमन्ते: in winter
• हेमन्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time locus—कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hemanta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• जलमध्यस्था: standing in the middle of water
• जलमध्यस्था: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival to ‘सा’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक) + madhya (प्रातिपदिक) + sthā (धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृदन्तः—स्थ (क्त/क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त ‘स्थित’ अर्थे) ‘मध्यस्थ’ इत्यर्थः; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (जलस्य मध्ये स्थिता)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• बभूव: became/was
• बभूव: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• तपस्विनी: an ascetic woman
• तपस्विनी: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate nominative/कर्तृसमाना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapasvinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पञ्चाग्निसाधका: practising the five-fire austerity
• पञ्चाग्निसाधका: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival to ‘सा’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (प्रातिपदिक) + agni (प्रातिपदिक) + sādhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पञ्चाग्नीन् साधयति/सेवते या)

• ग्रीष्मे: in summer
• ग्रीष्मे: Adhikaraṇa (Time locus/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grīṣma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• बभूव: became/was
• बभूव: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लिट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• यशस्विनी: glorious/famed
• यशस्विनी: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/कर्तृसमाना)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yaśasvinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (narrative continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two contrasting panels: winter—woman standing/meditating waist-deep in a pond with mist; summer—she sits amid four fires with the sun overhead (pañcāgni), composed and radiant.

Characters & Entities

• Pañcāgni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True austerity adapts to hardship across seasons, showing unwavering resolve and earning spiritual renown.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse presumes a sacred setting suitable for water-penance, but it does not provide a specific tīrtha name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Jalamadhya-sthāna (staying in water in cold season) and pañcāgni-sādhana (five-fire penance) in summer.