Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

पिण्याकमपरेऽभुजन् केचित्पालाशभोजनाः । अपरे नियताहारा वायुभक्ष्याम्बुभोजनाः

Transliteration

piṇyākamapare'bhujan kecitpālāśabhojanāḥ | apare niyatāhārā vāyubhakṣyāmbubhojanāḥ

Translation

ചിലർ പിണ്യാകം (എണ്ണക്കഴിവ്) ഭക്ഷിച്ചു; ചിലർ പാലാശപത്രഭോജനരായി ജീവിച്ചു. മറ്റുചിലർ നിയന്ത്രിതാഹാരികൾ—വായുവിനെ തന്നെ ആഹാരമായി കരുതി, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ജലം മാത്രം ആശ്രയിച്ചു ജീവിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• पिण्याकम्: oil-cake (pressed seed residue)
• पिण्याकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्याक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• अपरे: others
• अपरे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (सर्वनाम-प्रयोगः)

• अभुजन्: ate
• अभुजन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम)

• पालाशभोजनाः: those whose food was palāśa (leaves/flowers)
• पालाशभोजनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पालाश (प्रातिपदिक) + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पालाशस्य भोजनम्)

• अपरे: others
• अपरे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (सर्वनाम-प्रयोगः)

• नियताहाराः: those with regulated diet
• नियताहाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (नियतः आहारः येषाम्)

• वायुभक्ष्य: air-eating (living on air)
• वायुभक्ष्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ष्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वायुः भक्ष्यः येषाम्)

• अम्बुभोजनाः: water-eaters (living on water)
• अम्बुभोजनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बु (प्रातिपदिक) + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अम्बुनः भोजनम्)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A riverside hermitage with multiple ascetics: one eating oil-cake, another chewing palāśa leaves, others seated in stillness as if living on air or water; sparse utensils, kusa grass mats, and the Revā flowing quietly behind.

Characters & Entities

• Palāśa (Butea monosperma)
• Ṛṣis
• Revā (Narmadā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Control of appetite—up to extreme renunciation—is praised as a tapas that strengthens spiritual focus.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sages’ āśrama within the Revā Khaṇḍa region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dietary vows: piṇyāka-eating, palāśa-leaf subsistence, niyatāhāra, water-only, and ‘air-only’ austerity.