Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

ऋषिर्मंकणको नाम स तेपे परमं तपः । प्राचीमेत्य यताहारो नित्यं स्वाध्यायतत्परः

Transliteration

ṛṣirmaṃkaṇako nāma sa tepe paramaṃ tapaḥ | prācīmetya yatāhāro nityaṃ svādhyāyatatparaḥ

Translation

Houve um sábio chamado Maṅkaṇaka; ele praticou a austeridade suprema. Tendo ido à região oriental, com dieta contida, permanecia sempre dedicado ao svādhyāya — o estudo e a recitação sagrados.

Word by Word

• ऋषिः: a sage
• ऋषिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मंकणकः: Maṃkaṇaka
• मंकणकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṃkaṇaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: नामार्थक-अव्यय (named)

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

• तेपे: performed (austerity)
• तेपे: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• परमम्: supreme; great
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying tapaḥ)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• प्राचीम्: to the east
• प्राचीम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prācī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; दिशावाचक-नाम (eastward direction)

• इत्य: having gone
• इत्य: Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृत्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-कृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): ‘having gone’

• यताहारः: restrained in diet
• यताहारः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yata-āhāra (प्रातिपदिक; yata + āhāra)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying saḥ/ṛṣiḥ)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nityam (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (always)

• स्वाध्यायतत्परः: devoted to self-study (Vedic recitation)
• स्वाध्यायतत्परः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svādhyāya-tatpara (प्रातिपदिक; svādhyāya + tatpara)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (devoted to svādhyāya)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced: continuing narration to Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṃkīśvara area (tapas-bhūmi of Maṅkaṇaka)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Maṅkaṇaka in a forested riverbank hermitage, seated in meditation with kuśa grass and a water-pot; dawn light from the east; subtle aura of accumulated tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Maṅkaṇaka (ṛṣi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A disciplined life—tapas, regulated food, and svādhyāya—is portrayed as the foundation of spiritual power and purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Prabhāsa-kṣetra context frames the story, though this verse highlights the sage’s ascetic setting rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Svādhyāya (regular sacred study/recitation) and dietary restraint (yatāhāra) are indicated as core disciplines.