Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

शिवभक्तिपरो जातो वायुभक्षो बभूव ह । जपहोमरतो नित्यं पंगुनामा द्विजोत्तमः

Transliteration

śivabhaktiparo jāto vāyubhakṣo babhūva ha | japahomarato nityaṃ paṃgunāmā dvijottamaḥ

Translation

Ce brāhmane éminent, nommé Paṅgu, naquit tout entier voué à la bhakti envers Śiva ; il ne se nourrissait que d’air et, chaque jour, demeurait appliqué au japa et au homa.

Word by Word

• शिवभक्ति-परः: devoted to devotion to Śiva
• शिवभक्ति-परः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: शिवे भक्तिः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + परः (तत्पुरुष: ‘शिवभक्तौ परः’ = devoted to Śiva-bhakti)

• जातः: became/was born (became)
• जातः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक-विशेषण (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; धातु: √जन्

• वायु-भक्षः: one who subsists on air
• वायु-भक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: वायुः भक्ष्यः यस्य/वायुम् भक्षयति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष; अर्थ: ‘air-eater’)

• बभूव: became
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिप्रास/परोक्षभूत; perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: √भू

• ह: indeed
• ह: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/metrical particle)

• जप-होम-रतः: engaged in japa and homa
• जप-होम-रतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक) + होम (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: जपश्च होमश्च (द्वन्द्व) + रतः (तत्पुरुष: ‘जपहोमे रतः’)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-एकवचन (adverbial accusative)

• पङ्गु-नामā: named Paṅgu
• पङ्गु-नामā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पङ्गु (प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: पङ्गुः नाम यस्य सः (whose name is Paṅgu)

• द्विज-उत्तमः: best of the twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विज-उत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: द्विजेषु उत्तमः (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda (Paṅgu’s tapas-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Paṅgu sits near a small homa-kuṇḍa; flames rise steadily as he offers oblations, while his lips move in mantra-japa; his body is thin from austerity, yet his face is luminous with devotion; the liṅga stands nearby adorned with flowers.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Paṅgu
• Japa
• Homa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady devotion (bhakti) supported by disciplined practice (japa, homa, tapas) draws divine grace and consecrates one’s life and place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda setting associated with Paṅgu’s sustained Śaiva practices, foundational to Paṅgu Tīrtha’s later renown.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nitya japa (daily mantra repetition) and homa (fire oblations), along with severe fasting/austerity.