Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

समीराभ्यवहर्तासीद्बहुदिष्टं सदिष्टवान् । पपौ स तु पिपासुः सन्कुशाग्रजलविप्रुषः

Transliteration

samīrābhyavahartāsīdbahudiṣṭaṃ sadiṣṭavān | papau sa tu pipāsuḥ sankuśāgrajalavipruṣaḥ

Translation

ಅವನು ‘ವಾಯ್ವಾಹಾರಿ’ಯಾಗಿ, ಅಲ್ಪವಾಗಿ ನಿಗದಿಯಾದ ಆಹಾರವನ್ನೇ ಸ್ವೀಕರಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದನು. ದಾಹವಾದಾಗ ಕುಶಾಗ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಂಟಿದ ಜಲಬಿಂದುಗಳನ್ನಷ್ಟೇ ಕುಡಿಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದನು.

Word by Word

• समीराभ्यवहर्ता: one who subsisted on air
• समीराभ्यवहर्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समीर (प्रातिपदिक) + अभि + √हृ (धातु) (कृदन्त: तृच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तृच्-प्रत्ययान्त कर्तृवाचक (abhyavahartṛ = ‘one who takes in/feeds on’)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• बहु: much
• बहु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (दीष्टम्)

• दिष्टम्: food/portion (given)
• दिष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √दिश् (धातु) (कृदन्त: क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘भोजनम्/आहारः’ अर्थे

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• दिष्टवान्: ate/partook
• दिष्टवान्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दिश् (धातु) (कृदन्त: क्तवत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त (perfect participle), कर्तरि; अर्थतः ‘अदिष्ट/भुक्तवान्’ (took food)

• पपौ: drank
• पपौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात

• पिपासुः: thirsty
• पिपासुः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिपासु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (सः)

• सन्: being
• सन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √अस् (धातु) (कृदन्त: शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त; ‘being’ (conjunctive participle sense)

• कुशाग्रजलविप्रुषः: water-drops on the tips of kuśa grass
• कुशाग्रजलविप्रुषः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक) + विप्रुष् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कुशाग्रे स्थिताः जलविप्रुषः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (context of Yama’s extreme saṃyama)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viśālākṣī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An emaciated yet radiant ascetic Yama sits or stands calmly; swirling air suggests ‘wind-subsistence’. Nearby, kuśa grass bends with tiny water droplets, which he touches to his lips with restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Kuśa grass

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Aparigraha (non-possessiveness) and radical restraint purify intention and intensify spiritual aspiration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter’s setting remains the Kāśī sacred field (Ānandavana/Dharmapīṭha context), though this verse focuses on tapas methods.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ascetic subsistence practices are described: samīrāhāra (air-subsistence) and drinking only kuśa-tip droplets.