Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

पञ्चाग्निसाधका ग्रीष्मे फलाहारं तपस्विनी । चकार श्रद्धयोपेता वृकभूमिपतेः सुता

Transliteration

pañcāgnisādhakā grīṣme phalāhāraṃ tapasvinī | cakāra śraddhayopetā vṛkabhūmipateḥ sutā

Translation

ग्रीष्मकाळी त्या तपस्विनीने पञ्चाग्नि-साधना केली आणि केवळ फलाहारावर राहिली। श्रद्धायुक्त वृकभूमिपतीची कन्या असे तप आचरित होती।

Word by Word

• pañcāgnisādhakā: (she who is) practicing the five-fire austerity
• pañcāgnisādhakā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (प्रातिपदिक) + agni (प्रातिपदिक) + sādhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘सा’ इत्यस्य

• grīṣme: in summer
• grīṣme: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grīṣma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• phalāhāram: fruit-diet
• phalāhāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक) + āhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म—‘चकार’ इत्यस्य

• tapasvinī: the ascetic woman
• tapasvinī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapasvinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक संज्ञा

• cakāra: did / undertook
• cakāra: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• śraddhayā: with faith
• śraddhayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śraddhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; साधन/हेतु-भाव

• upetā: endowed (with)
• upetā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upa-√i (धातु) + upeta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण—‘तपस्विनी/सुता’

• vṛkabhūmipateḥ: of Vṛkabhūmipati
• vṛkabhūmipateḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛka (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध—‘सुता’ इत्यस्य

• sutā: daughter
• sutā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sutā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young ascetic princess performs pañcāgni-tapas in peak summer: four fires around her and the blazing sun above; she subsists on fruits, seated in meditation with a japa-mālā, dust and heat shimmering.

Characters & Entities

• vṛkabhūmipati (lord of Vṛkabhūmi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tapas is sustained by śraddhā—faith makes even severe disciplines spiritually meaningful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha is part of the chapter’s broader narration; this verse emphasizes summer austerities rather than the site-name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pañcāgni-sādhana in summer and a phalāhāra regimen (subsisting on fruits).