Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ग्रीष्मे पंचाग्नितपसो वर्षासु स्थंडिलेशयाः । हेमंतशिशिरार्धे ये क्षपंति सलिले क्षपाः

Transliteration

grīṣme paṃcāgnitapaso varṣāsu sthaṃḍileśayāḥ | hemaṃtaśiśirārdhe ye kṣapaṃti salile kṣapāḥ

Translation

ഗ്രീഷ്മത്തിൽ അവർ പഞ്ചാഗ്നിതപസ്സ് അനുഷ്ഠിക്കുന്നു; വർഷാകാലത്ത് വെറും നിലത്താണ് ശയനം; ഹേമന്ത-ശിശിരാർദ്ധത്തിൽ ജലത്തിൽ നിന്നുകൊണ്ട് രാത്രികൾ കഴിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• ग्रीष्मे: in summer
• ग्रीष्मे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रीष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — Locative singular (time)

• पञ्च-अग्नि-तपसः: practitioners of the five-fire austerity
• पञ्च-अग्नि-तपसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (पञ्च अग्नयः यस्मिन् तपसि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग ‘तपस्’, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; those practicing pañcāgni-tapas

• वर्षासु: in the rains
• वर्षासु: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन — Locative plural (time)

• स्थण्डिल-शयाः: ground-sleepers
• स्थण्डिल-शयाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थण्डिल (प्रातिपदिक) + शय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (स्थण्डिले शय्या/शयः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; those who sleep on bare ground

• हेमन्त-शिशिर-अर्धे: in the half of hemanta and śiśira (winter season)
• हेमन्त-शिशिर-अर्धे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेमन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + शिशिर (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (हेमन्तश्च शिशिरश्च), ततः ‘अर्ध’ सह तत्पुरुषभाव: ‘हेमन्तशिशिरयोः अर्धे’, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Locative singular (time)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Relative pronoun

• क्षपन्ति: spend (pass)
• क्षपन्ति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — 3rd person plural

• सलिले: in water
• सलिले: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Locative singular

• क्षपाः: nights
• क्षपाः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन — Accusative plural; object of ‘क्षपन्ति’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tapoloka (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triptych-like depiction: (1) summer—ascetic seated amid four fires with the sun overhead (pañcāgni); (2) monsoon—ascetic lying on bare ground under rain clouds; (3) winter—ascetic standing in water at night with mist and moonlight.

Characters & Entities

• Tapoloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tapas is steadfast across seasons—endurance and discipline refine the practitioner toward higher worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa context frames the teaching, but the verse itself glorifies ascetic practice leading to Tapoloka rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Seasonal austerities: pañcāgni in summer, sleeping on bare ground in rains, and spending nights in water during cold months.