Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

पंचाग्निसाधको ग्रीष्मे वर्षास्वाकाशगस्तथा । हेमंते जलमध्यस्थो नव वर्षाणि पंच च

Transliteration

paṃcāgnisādhako grīṣme varṣāsvākāśagastathā | hemaṃte jalamadhyastho nava varṣāṇi paṃca ca

Translation

En été, il observa le vœu des cinq feux; durant la saison des pluies, il demeura sous le ciel à découvert; et en hiver, il se tint debout, immergé dans l’eau—ainsi pendant quatorze années.

Word by Word

• पञ्चाग्निसाधकः: practising the five-fire austerity
• पञ्चाग्निसाधकः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + अग्नि + साधक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (to implied ‘सः’); समासः—पञ्चानां अग्नीनां साधकः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• ग्रीष्मे: in summer
• ग्रीष्मे: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रीष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• वर्षासु: in the rainy season(s)
• वर्षासु: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• आकाशगः: staying in the open sky (exposed)
• आकाशगः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आकाशग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (to implied ‘सः’); समासः—आकाशे गः (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक; adverb/conjunctive)

• हेमन्ते: in winter
• हेमन्ते: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेमन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• जलमध्यस्थः: standing in the middle of water
• जलमध्यस्थः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल + मध्य + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (to implied ‘सः’); समासः—जलस्य मध्ये स्थः (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

• नव: nine
• नव: Karma (Measure/परिमाण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नवन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण (to ‘वर्षाणि’)

• वर्षाणि: years
• वर्षाणि: Karma (Extent of time/कालपरिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (कालपरिमाण)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Karma (Measure/परिमाण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण (to ‘वर्षाणि’ understood)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक conjunction)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone ascetic performing seasonal tapas: in summer seated amid four fires with the sun overhead; in monsoon standing under open sky in rain; in winter waist-deep in cold water, unwavering in japa.

Characters & Entities

• Śvetaketu
• Pañcāgni-tapas
• Prabhāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadfast tapas across changing conditions is praised as the force that purifies the devotee and draws divine grace to a sacred place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where these austerities are undertaken as part of the site’s sanctifying narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pañcāgni tapas (five-fire austerity), exposure to the open sky in rains, and water-immersion in winter—classic ascetic disciplines.