Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

आराध्य तत्र देवेशं देवानां प्रपितामहम् । वायुभक्षा निराहारा तोषयामास शंकरम्

Transliteration

ārādhya tatra deveśaṃ devānāṃ prapitāmaham | vāyubhakṣā nirāhārā toṣayāmāsa śaṃkaram

Translation

Là, après avoir adoré le Seigneur des dieux—le grand ancêtre des dieux—Sāvitrī, se nourrissant d’air et jeûnant de toute nourriture, apaisa et satisfit Śaṅkara.

Word by Word

• आराध्य: having worshipped
• आराध्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + राध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• देवेशम्: the Lord of the gods
• देवेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—देवानाम् ईशः

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• प्रपितामहम्: the great-grandfather (ancestor)
• प्रपितामहम्: Karma (Object in apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• वायुभक्षा: air-eating (living on air)
• वायुभक्षा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वायु + भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—वायुः भक्ष्यं यस्याः/या (वायु-भक्षः)

• निराहारा: without food, fasting
• निराहारा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—आहारः नास्ति यस्याः/या

• तोषयामास: pleased, satisfied (caused to be pleased)
• तोषयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत) परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative: ‘to cause to be pleased’)

• शंकरम्: Śaṅkara
• शंकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmakūṇḍa

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sāvitrī in ascetic posture near a sacred tank and liṅga shrine, minimal ornaments, controlled breath, offering flowers and water; Śiva’s presence felt as a luminous, tranquil force responding to her tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī (implied)
• Deveśa
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Brahmakūṇḍa vicinity
• Bhairava context

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity and disciplined worship (tapas) are presented as powerful means to win Śiva’s grace at a sacred site.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The area near Brahmakūṇḍa in Prabhāsa-kṣetra, within the third Bhairava context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas characterized by fasting (nirāhāra) and ‘living on air’ (vāyu-bhakṣā) while worshiping Śaṅkara.