Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

ऊर्ध्वबाहुनिरालम्बा आदित्यभ्रमणाः परे । सायंप्रातर्भुजश्चान्ये एकाहारास्तथा परे

Transliteration

ūrdhvabāhunirālambā ādityabhramaṇāḥ pare | sāyaṃprātarbhujaścānye ekāhārāstathā pare

Translation

ಕೆಲವರು ಆಧಾರವಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಕೈಗಳನ್ನು ಮೇಲಕ್ಕೆತ್ತಿ ನಿಂತಿದ್ದರು; ಕೆಲವರು ಆದಿತ್ಯ-ಭ್ರಮಣ ವ್ರತವನ್ನು ಆಚರಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಕೆಲವರು ಸಾಯಂಕಾಲ-ಪ್ರಾತಃಕಾಲ ಮಾತ್ರ ಭೋಜನ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು; ಮತ್ತ ಕೆಲವರು ಏಕಾಹಾರ ವ್ರತಸ್ಥರಾಗಿದ್ದರು।

Word by Word

• ऊर्ध्व-बाहु-निरालम्बाः: with arms raised, without support
• ऊर्ध्व-बाहु-निरालम्बाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक) + bāhu (प्रातिपदिक) + nirālamba (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (परे/केचित् implied)

• आदित्य-भ्रमणाः: sun-gazers / those who revolve (in worship) of the sun
• आदित्य-भ्रमणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āditya (प्रातिपदिक) + bhramaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• परे: others
• परे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (others)

• सायम्: in the evening
• सायम्: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sāyam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (time adverb: evening)

• प्रातः: in the morning
• प्रातः: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prātaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (time adverb: morning)

• भुजः: eaters (those who eat)
• भुजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhuj (धातु) + a (कृत्/प्रातिपदिक-निर्माण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘भुज’ = eater (one who eats)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (others)

• एक-आहाराः: having one meal (a day)
• एक-आहाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + āhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक/समुच्चयार्थ (thus/likewise)

• परे: others
• परे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (tapas-sthāna)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence of ascetics: one standing with arms raised against the sky; another walking in a circular path around a sun-emblem or facing the sun in repeated circumambulation; others seated with simple bowls indicating restricted meals; dawn and sunset hues suggest prātaḥ-sāyam discipline.

Characters & Entities

• Āditya (Sun)
• Ṛṣis
• Revā (Narmadā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-restraint and disciplined austerity purify the practitioner and amplify the sanctity of a holy āśrama.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ascetics’ āśrama in the Revā Khaṇḍa region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas such as ūrdhva-bāhu observance, sun-circling austerity, regulated meals (twice daily), and ekāhāra.