Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

वर्षास्वाकाशशायी च हेमन्ते सलिलाश्रयः । पञ्चाग्निसाधको ग्रीष्मे षष्ठकालकृताशनः

Transliteration

varṣāsvākāśaśāyī ca hemante salilāśrayaḥ | pañcāgnisādhako grīṣme ṣaṣṭhakālakṛtāśanaḥ

Translation

മഴക്കാലത്ത് തുറന്ന ആകാശത്തിൻ കീഴിൽ ശയിച്ചു; ഹേമന്തത്തിൽ ജലത്തിൽ ആശ്രയിച്ചു; ഗ്രീഷ്മത്തിൽ പഞ്ചാഗ്നി തപസ്സു ചെയ്തു; ആഹാരം ഷഷ്ഠകാലത്ത് മാത്രം സ്വീകരിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• वर्षासु: in the rainy seasons
• वर्षासु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• आकाशशायी: one who lies/sleeps in the open sky
• आकाशशायी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आकाश + शायी (प्रातिपदिक; शय् (धातु) → शायी)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तपस्वी/सः); समासः: आकाशे शायी इति सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः

• हेमन्ते: in winter
• हेमन्ते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेमन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• सलिलाश्रयः: one who resorts to water (stays in water)
• सलिलाश्रयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सलिल + आश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः: सलिले आश्रयः/आश्रयणं यस्य सः (अर्थतः) — रूपतः सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• पञ्चाग्निसाधकः: practiser of the five-fire austerity
• पञ्चाग्निसाधकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + अग्नि + साधक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः: पञ्च अग्नयः (द्विगु) + साधकः (तत्पुरुष-सम्बन्धः)

• ग्रीष्मे: in summer
• ग्रीष्मे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रीष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• षष्ठकालकृताशनः: one who eats only at the sixth time/interval
• षष्ठकालकृताशनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्ठ + काल + कृत + आशन (प्रातिपदिक; कृ (धातु) → कृत)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः: षष्ठे काले कृतम् आशनम् यस्य सः (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे), रूपतः तत्पुरुष-समास-श्रृङ्खला

Speaker

Viśvāmitra (narrating)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara (jalāśaya-associated tapas-sthāna)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārthiva (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four seasonal panels: monsoon—ascetic lying under open sky; winter—immersed in water; summer—seated amid five fires; diet—minimal meal at prescribed time, emaciated yet radiant.

Characters & Entities

• Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadfast discipline across changing conditions purifies the seeker; tapas becomes the bridge between fault and divine favor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The austerities are performed in the context of Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra introduced in the preceding verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Seasonal tapas: open-sky sleeping in rains, water-dwelling in winter, pañcāgni in summer, and strict fasting/limited eating (ṣaṣṭhakāla-bhojana).