Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

ग्रीष्मे पंचाग्निमध्यस्थो ह्यतपत्स महातपाः । वार्षिके च निरालम्बो हेमन्ते च सरोवरे

Transliteration

grīṣme paṃcāgnimadhyastho hyatapatsa mahātapāḥ | vārṣike ca nirālambo hemante ca sarovare

Translation

ໃນລະດູຮ້ອນ ມະຫາຕະປະນັ້ນຢືນຢູ່ກາງໄຟຫ້າ ແລະບຳເນັດຢ່າງແຮງກ້າ. ໃນລະດູຝົນ ລາວຢູ່ໂດຍບໍ່ພຶ່ງພາສິ່ງໃດ; ແລະໃນລະດູໜາວ ລາວພັກຢູ່ໃນສະຣະວະ (ທະເລສາບ)។

Word by Word

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

• पञ्चाग्निमध्यस्थः: standing amid five fires
• पञ्चाग्निमध्यस्थः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + अग्नि + मध्य + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पञ्चानां अग्नीनां मध्ये स्थः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• अतपत्: practised austerity
• अतपत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• महातपाः: the great ascetic
• महातपाः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् तपाः)

• वार्षिके: in the rainy season
• वार्षिके: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्षिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (ऋतु/कालवाचक), सप्तमी, एकवचन; वर्षाकाले (in rainy season)

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

• निरालम्बः: without support (hanging/leaning on nothing)
• निरालम्बः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + आलम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्गपूर्वक विशेषण (without support)

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

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

• सरोवरे: in a lake
• सरोवरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरोवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triptych-like depiction of the same ascetic across seasons: (1) summer—standing amid four fires with the sun overhead (pañcāgni), (2) monsoon—upright without support in driving rain, (3) winter—immersed in a lotus-filled lake, breath steady.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇuśarman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadfastness across hardship is celebrated as tapas: endurance becomes an offering that intensifies spiritual attainment in a holy kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The austerities are part of the Ayodhyāmāhātmya narrative, implying Ayodhyā as a powerful setting for intense sādhana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Forms of tapas are described: pañcāgni in summer, unsupported discipline in the rains, and remaining in water during winter.