Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

समीराभ्यवहर्तासीद्बहुदिष्टं सदिष्टवान् । पपौ स तु पिपासुः सन्कुशाग्रजलविप्रुषः

Transliteration

samīrābhyavahartāsīdbahudiṣṭaṃ sadiṣṭavān | papau sa tu pipāsuḥ sankuśāgrajalavipruṣaḥ

Translation

ਉਹ ‘ਵਾਯੁ-ਆਹਾਰ’ ਵਾਲਾ ਬਣ ਕੇ ਜੀਉਂਦਾ ਸੀ, ਬਹੁਤ ਥੋੜ੍ਹਾ ਹੀ ਭੋਜਨ ਸਵੀਕਾਰਦਾ। ਅਤੇ ਜਦ ਤ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨਾ ਨਾਲ ਤਪਦਾ, ਤਾਂ ਕੁਸ਼ਾ ਘਾਹ ਦੀਆਂ ਨੋਕਾਂ ਉੱਤੇ ਟਿਕੀਆਂ ਪਾਣੀ ਦੀਆਂ ਬੂੰਦਾਂ ਹੀ ਪੀਂਦਾ ਸੀ।

Word by Word

• समीराभ्यवहर्ता: one who subsisted on air
• समीराभ्यवहर्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समीर (प्रातिपदिक) + अभि + √हृ (धातु) (कृदन्त: तृच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तृच्-प्रत्ययान्त कर्तृवाचक (abhyavahartṛ = ‘one who takes in/feeds on’)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• बहु: much
• बहु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (दीष्टम्)

• दिष्टम्: food/portion (given)
• दिष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √दिश् (धातु) (कृदन्त: क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘भोजनम्/आहारः’ अर्थे

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

• दिष्टवान्: ate/partook
• दिष्टवान्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दिश् (धातु) (कृदन्त: क्तवत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त (perfect participle), कर्तरि; अर्थतः ‘अदिष्ट/भुक्तवान्’ (took food)

• पपौ: drank
• पपौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

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

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात

• पिपासुः: thirsty
• पिपासुः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिपासु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (सः)

• सन्: being
• सन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √अस् (धातु) (कृदन्त: शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त; ‘being’ (conjunctive participle sense)

• कुशाग्रजलविप्रुषः: water-drops on the tips of kuśa grass
• कुशाग्रजलविप्रुषः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक) + विप्रुष् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कुशाग्रे स्थिताः जलविप्रुषः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (context of Yama’s extreme saṃyama)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viśālākṣī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An emaciated yet radiant ascetic Yama sits or stands calmly; swirling air suggests ‘wind-subsistence’. Nearby, kuśa grass bends with tiny water droplets, which he touches to his lips with restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Kuśa grass

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Aparigraha (non-possessiveness) and radical restraint purify intention and intensify spiritual aspiration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter’s setting remains the Kāśī sacred field (Ānandavana/Dharmapīṭha context), though this verse focuses on tapas methods.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ascetic subsistence practices are described: samīrāhāra (air-subsistence) and drinking only kuśa-tip droplets.