Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

अतिष्ठद्वायुभक्षश्च वर्षाणां शतकं किल । अम्बुभक्षः सहस्रं तु शाकाहारोऽयुतं तथा

Transliteration

atiṣṭhadvāyubhakṣaśca varṣāṇāṃ śatakaṃ kila | ambubhakṣaḥ sahasraṃ tu śākāhāro'yutaṃ tathā

Translation

असे म्हणतात की तो शंभर वर्षे वायुभक्ष राहिला. नंतर हजार वर्षे तो अम्बुभक्ष (जलाहार) होता, आणि तसेच दहा हजार वर्षे शाकाहारावर राहिला.

Word by Word

• अतिष्ठत्: stood/remained
• अतिष्ठत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• वायुभक्षः: one who feeds on air
• वायुभक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

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

• वर्षाणाम्: of years
• वर्षाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), षष्ठी (6th case/genitive), बहुवचन (plural)

• शतकम्: a hundred (years)
• शतकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case/accusative) (कालपरिमाणे), एकवचन (singular)

• किल: indeed/it is said
• किल: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; hearsay/emphasis)

• अम्बुभक्षः: one who feeds on water
• अम्बुभक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बु (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

• सहस्रम्: a thousand (years)
• सहस्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case/accusative) (कालपरिमाणे), एकवचन (singular)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• शाकाहारः: one who eats vegetables/greens
• शाकाहारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

• अयुतम्: ten thousand (years)
• अयुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case/accusative) (कालपरिमाणे), एकवचन (singular)

• तथा: likewise/so
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (tapas-siddhi field)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Jaigīṣavya’s tapas is quantified: living on air for a century, on water for a millennium, and on greens for ten thousand years—an escalating portrait of endurance and inner heat.

Characters & Entities

• Jaigīṣavya
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadfast self-restraint and endurance, when rooted in sacred purpose, are portrayed as powerful means toward spiritual accomplishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra by implication, as the locus where these austerities were undertaken.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ascetic dietary vows (air-only, water-only, greens-only) as modes of tapas.