Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 206
वर्षास्वाकाशशायी च हेमंते सलिलाशयः । पञ्चाग्निसाधको ग्रीष्मे यावद्वर्षशतं नरः
varṣāsvākāśaśāyī ca hemaṃte salilāśayaḥ | pañcāgnisādhako grīṣme yāvadvarṣaśataṃ naraḥ
Seorang manusia berbaring di bawah langit saat musim hujan, tinggal di dalam air pada musim dingin, dan menjalani tapa pañcāgni pada musim panas—demikian selama seratus tahun penuh.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)
Scene: Triptych of seasons: monsoon—ascetic lying under open sky; winter—ascetic immersed in water; summer—ascetic seated amid five fires; a ‘100 years’ motif shown as a long garland of beads or a time-scroll.
FAQs
The text highlights the magnitude of severe tapas as a benchmark for spiritual merit (continued comparison in the next verse).
No specific tīrtha is named in this line; it describes ascetic disciplines rather than a location.
Seasonal austerities: open-sky sleeping in the rains, water-dwelling in winter, and pañcāgni (five-fire) practice in summer, sustained for a hundred years.