Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

वर्षास्वाकाशस्थायी स हेमन्ते सलिलाश्रयः । पंचाग्निसाधको ग्रीष्मे स वभूवा निलाशनः

Transliteration

varṣāsvākāśasthāyī sa hemante salilāśrayaḥ | paṃcāgnisādhako grīṣme sa vabhūvā nilāśanaḥ

Translation

മഴക്കാലത്ത് അവൻ തുറന്ന ആകാശത്തിനടിയിൽ നിലകൊണ്ടു; ഹേമന്തത്തിൽ ജലത്തെ ആശ്രയിച്ചു; ഗ്രീഷ്മത്തിൽ പഞ്ചാഗ്നി സാധന നടത്തി; വായുവേ ആഹാരമായി ജീവിച്ചു.

Word by Word

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

• आकाशस्थायी: staying in the open sky
• आकाशस्थायी: Visheshya (Predicate adjective/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आकाश + स्थायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—आकाशे स्थायी (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• हेमन्ते: in winter
• हेमन्ते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेमन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सलिलाश्रयः: resorting to water
• सलिलाश्रयः: Visheshya (Predicate adjective/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सलिल + आश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—सलिले आश्रयः (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

• पञ्चाग्निसाधकः: practiser of the five-fire austerity
• पञ्चाग्निसाधकः: Visheshya (Predicate noun/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + अग्नि + साधक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—पञ्चानां अग्नीनां साधकः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• ग्रीष्मे: in summer
• ग्रीष्मे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रीष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• बभूव: became/was
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• निलाशनः: without food; fasting
• निलाशनः: Visheshya (Predicate adjective/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः + आशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—निः (अभावे) + आशनः (भोजनम्) → ‘अशनरहितः’ (नञ्/अव्यय-पूर्वपद-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naimiṣa (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A four-panel seasonal depiction of the ascetic’s vow: under monsoon clouds he stands exposed; in winter he sits immersed in cold water; in summer he performs pañcāgni with four fires around and the sun overhead; finally, he appears emaciated yet radiant, sustained only by air.

Characters & Entities

• Pañcāgni-tapas (five-fire austerity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity is portrayed as steadfast endurance across seasons, transforming the practitioner through disciplined self-restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The practices are undertaken in the Naimiṣa context, reinforcing the tīrtha as a seat of powerful tapas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Seasonal tapas disciplines: exposure to elements, water-resort in winter, pañcāgni in summer, and extreme fasting (air-subsistence).