Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 143

Devanagari script

वायुपानरता जाता अंबुपानादनंतरम् । कालक्रमेण महता बभूव गिरिजा सती । एकांगुष्ठेन च तदा दधार च निजं वपुः

Transliteration

vāyupānaratā jātā aṃbupānādanaṃtaram | kālakrameṇa mahatā babhūva girijā satī | ekāṃguṣṭhena ca tadā dadhāra ca nijaṃ vapuḥ

Translation

അംബുപാനത്തിന് ശേഷം ഗിരിജാ സതി വായുപാനത്തിൽ നിരതയായി. ദീർഘകാലക്രമത്തിൽ അവൾ അന്ന് ഒരു അങ്കുഷ്ഠം (പാദത്തിന്റെ വലിയ വിരൽ) മാത്രം ആശ്രയിച്ച് സ്വന്തം ദേഹം ധരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• वायुपानरता: devoted to drinking air (living on air)
• वायुपानरता: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वायु + पान + रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular feminine

• जाता: became
• जाता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Past passive participle

• अम्बुपानात्: after (giving up) water-drinking / from water-intake
• अम्बुपानात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बु + पान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular

• अनन्तरम्: immediately after
• अनन्तरम्: Sambandha (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-एकवचन (adverbial accusative)

• कालक्रमेण: by the course of time
• कालक्रमेण: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• महता: great/long
• महता: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; agreeing with कालक्रमेण

• बभूव: became
• बभूव: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्ष-भूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Perfect, 3rd person singular

• गिरिजा: Girijā (daughter of the mountain)
• गिरिजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि + जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (name/epithet)

• सती: Satī
• सती: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (proper name/epithet)

• एकाङ्गुष्ठेन: with one thumb
• एकाङ्गुष्ठेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + अङ्गुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• दधार: held/sustained
• दधार: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्ष-भूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Perfect, 3rd person singular (Parasmaipada)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• निजम्: her own
• निजम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (agreeing with वपुः)

• वपुः: body
• वपुः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-tapas-kṣetra (Girijā-yoga-sthiti)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Over long time, Girijā lives on air; she stands or sustains herself on a single toe, body poised like a flame, unwavering amid Himalayan winds.

Characters & Entities

• Girijā (Pārvatī)
• Satī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unshakeable resolve and self-restraint (tapas) are portrayed as the inner power that leads to divine attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting belongs to the Kedāra-khaṇḍa, associated with the Kedāranātha sacred geography of the Himalaya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is prescribed; the verse emphasizes ascetic discipline—progressing from water-subsistence to air-subsistence.