Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तपश्चचार विपुलं भृगुर्वर्षसहस्रकम् । वायुभक्षो निराहारश्चिरं धमनिसंततः

Transliteration

tapaścacāra vipulaṃ bhṛgurvarṣasahasrakam | vāyubhakṣo nirāhāraściraṃ dhamanisaṃtataḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ഭൃഗു ആയിരം വർഷം മഹത്തായ തപസ്സു ചെയ്തു—വായുവിനെ മാത്രം ആഹാരമാക്കി, അന്നജലം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച്, ദീർഘകാലം നാഡികളും ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങളും സംയമത്തിൽ ഉറപ്പിച്ചു നിലകൊണ്ട്.

Word by Word

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• cacāra: practised; performed
• cacāra: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vipulam: great; abundant
• vipulam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vipula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘तपः’ विशेषण

• bhṛguḥ: Bhṛgu
• bhṛguḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhṛgu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• varṣa-sahasrakam: for a thousand years
• varṣa-sahasrakam: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Duration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + sahasraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास: सहस्रं वर्षाणि (a thousand years)

• vāyu-bhakṣaḥ: air-eating; living on air
• vāyu-bhakṣaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāyu (प्रातिपदिक) + bhakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘वायुः भक्ष्यः यस्य’ (one whose food is air)

• nir-āhāraḥ: without food
• nir-āhāraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir (उपसर्ग) + āhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निः-उपसर्गयुक्त (without food)

• ciram: for a long time
• ciram: Kāla (Time adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (adverbial accusative): चिरम् (for a long time)

• dhamani-saṃtataḥ: emaciated; with veins prominent
• dhamani-saṃtataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhamani (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃtata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘धमनिभिः संततः’ (stretched/extended with veins; i.e., emaciated)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhṛgu-tapas-sthāna (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhṛgu stands or sits in severe austerity for a thousand years—gaunt yet radiant, sustained by air alone, veins/channels taut—amid a quiet forest hermitage with minimal possessions.

Characters & Entities

• Bhṛgu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadfast tapas is portrayed as a transformative spiritual force that compels divine revelation and establishes sacred outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The austerity narrative functions as the backstory for the Kedāra-related māhātmya unfolding in this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas characterized by nirāhāra (fasting) and vāyubhakṣa (subsisting on breath/air), described as Bhṛgu’s practice.