Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

वायुभक्षस्ततो जातस्तावत्कालं द्विजोत्तमाः । अंगुष्ठाग्रेण भूपृष्ठं स्पर्शमानो जितेन्द्रियः

Transliteration

vāyubhakṣastato jātastāvatkālaṃ dvijottamāḥ | aṃguṣṭhāgreṇa bhūpṛṣṭhaṃ sparśamāno jitendriyaḥ

Translation

പിന്നീട്, ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമന്മാരേ, അതേ കാലം മുഴുവൻ അവൻ വായുവിനെ മാത്രം ആഹാരമാക്കി; ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങളെ ജയിച്ച്, അങ്കുഷ്ഠത്തിന്റെ അഗ്രംകൊണ്ട് ഭൂമിയുടെ മേൽപ്പുറം മാത്രം സ്പർശിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• वायुभक्षः: one who feeds on air
• वायुभक्षः: Kartr̥ (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु-भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; वायु + भक्ष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (nom. sg. masc.)

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (then/from that)

• जातः: became
• जातः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; ‘became’

• तावत्कालम्: for that long a time
• तावत्कालम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Duration/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तावत्-काल (प्रातिपदिक; तावत् + काल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (acc. sg. masc.); कालपरिमाणम्

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + उत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (voc. pl. masc.)

• अङ्गुष्ठाग्रेण: with the tip of the thumb
• अङ्गुष्ठाग्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुष्ठ-अग्र (प्रातिपदिक; अङ्गुष्ठ + अग्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (instr. sg. neut.)

• भूपृष्ठम्: the surface of the earth
• भूपृष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू-पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; भू + पृष्ठ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (acc. sg. neut.)

• स्पर्शमानः: touching
• स्पर्शमानः: Kartr̥ (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• जितेन्द्रियः: having conquered the senses
• जितेन्द्रियः: Kartr̥ (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित-इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक; जित + इन्द्रिय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (nom. sg. masc.)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-uttamāḥ (addressed audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ascetic now subsists on air, poised so lightly that only the thumb-tip touches the ground; the earth beneath appears sanctified, with a subtle aura of heat and stillness.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tapas is marked by radical restraint—mastery over the senses and willingness to endure hardship for a vowed aim.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya setting, but this specific line highlights the ascetic act rather than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is prescribed here; the emphasis is on inner discipline (jitendriyatā) and ascetic endurance.