Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

पञ्चाग्निसाधना ग्रीष्मे नियता ब्रह्मचारिणः । बहून्वर्षगणान्विप्रा जराग्रस्तास्तदाऽभवन्

Transliteration

pañcāgnisādhanā grīṣme niyatā brahmacāriṇaḥ | bahūnvarṣagaṇānviprā jarāgrastāstadā'bhavan

Translation

En été, ils pratiquaient la discipline des «cinq feux», vivant en brahmacārins d’une retenue parfaite ; après de longues années, ces sages brāhmaṇas furent alors accablés par la vieillesse.

Word by Word

• पञ्चाग्निसाधनाः: practising the five-fire austerity
• पञ्चाग्निसाधनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + अग्नि + साधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; द्विगु-तत्पुरुष-प्रायः: पञ्च अग्नयः यस्य साधनम्/साधना (practice of five fires)

• ग्रीष्मे: in summer
• ग्रीष्मे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रीष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; ऋतुवाचक

• नियताः: disciplined
• नियताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-यम् (धातु) → नियत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'restrained/observant'

• ब्रह्मचारिणः: brahmacārins, celibate students
• ब्रह्मचारिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म + चारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ब्रह्मणि/ब्रह्मस्य चारिन् (celibate student)

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• वर्षगणान्: groups of years
• वर्षगणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: वर्षाणां गणाः (groups of years)

• विप्राः: brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• जराग्रस्ताः: afflicted by old age
• जराग्रस्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जरा + ग्रस्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-प्रयोगः: जरया ग्रस्ताः (afflicted by old age)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अभवन्: they became
• अभवन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha region)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Varavarṇinī (a addressed lady; likely Pārvatī/Devī in a Śaiva dialogue frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of aged brāhmaṇa sages performing pañcāgni-sādhana in blazing summer: four fires around, the sun overhead as the fifth; their bodies lean with age, faces serene, matted hair, deer-skins, water pots, and rosaries; the sandy coastal Prabhāsa landscape hinted in the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis (Vipras)
• Pañcāgni-sādhana
• Brahmacarya
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True seeking endures time itself; prolonged tapas and brahmacarya are presented as vehicles for attaining divine grace at a tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, as the setting where severe pañcāgni austerities are undertaken for Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pañcāgni-sādhana in summer and disciplined brahmacarya are explicitly mentioned.