Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

कृच्छ्रसांतपने निष्ठा महापाराकिणः परे । अंबुभक्षा वायुभक्षाः फेनपाश्चोष्मपाः परे

Transliteration

kṛcchrasāṃtapane niṣṭhā mahāpārākiṇaḥ pare | aṃbubhakṣā vāyubhakṣāḥ phenapāścoṣmapāḥ pare

Translation

ചിലർ കൃച്ഛ്രവും സാന്തപനവും എന്ന കഠിന തപസ്സുകളിൽ നിഷ്ഠരായിരുന്നു; മറ്റുചിലർ മഹാപാരാക തപസ്സു അനുഷ്ഠിച്ചു. ചിലർ ജലം മാത്രം, ചിലർ വായു മാത്രം, ചിലർ നുര മാത്രം, മറ്റുചിലർ ഉഷ്ണത മാത്രം ആശ്രയിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• कृच्छ्रसान्तपने: in severe mortification/penance
• कृच्छ्रसान्तपने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र-सान्तपन (प्रातिपदिक; कृच्छ्र + सान्तपन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• निष्ठा: steadfastness
• निष्ठा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भाववाचक

• महापाराकिणः: very resolute/heroic
• महापाराकिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापाराकिन् (प्रातिपदिक; महा + पाराकिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• परे: others
• परे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; ‘अन्ये’ अर्थे

• अम्बुभक्षाः: water-eaters (living on water)
• अम्बुभक्षाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बु-भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; अम्बु + भक्ष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; अम्बुं भक्षयन्ति इति

• वायुभक्षाः: air-eaters (living on air)
• वायुभक्षाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु-भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; वायु + भक्ष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• फेनपाः: foam-drinkers
• फेनपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फेन-पा (प्रातिपदिक; फेन + पा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; फेनं पिबन्ति इति

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• उष्मपाः: heat-drinkers
• उष्मपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उष्म-पा (प्रातिपदिक; उष्म + पा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; उष्मं पिबन्ति इति

• परे: others
• परे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator addressing a king: likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Narādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tableau of extreme ascetics: one performing Kṛcchra/Sāntapana with measured portions, another in Mahā-pārāka (prolonged fasting), others symbolically shown as water-only, air-only, foam-only, and ‘heat-drinkers’ near sunlit rocks; ash, rudrākṣa, and fire altars appear.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛcchra
• Sāntapana
• Pārāka (vrata/penance)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma honors graded austerities as methods of inner purification and karmic lightening when rooted in steadfast intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda-khaṇḍa’s sacred setting, where intense tapas is portrayed as especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kṛcchra, Sāntapana, Mahā-Pārāka, and various restrictive diets (water-only, air-only, etc.).