Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

आराध्य तत्र देवेशं देवानां प्रपितामहम् । वायुभक्षा निराहारा तोषयामास शंकरम्

Transliteration

ārādhya tatra deveśaṃ devānāṃ prapitāmaham | vāyubhakṣā nirāhārā toṣayāmāsa śaṃkaram

Translation

அங்கே தேவர்களின் அதிபதி, தேவர்களின் பரம்பிதாமகனை ஆராதித்து, காற்றையே உணவாகக் கொண்டு அன்னமின்றி இருந்து சாவித்ரி சங்கரனைத் திருப்திப்படுத்தினாள்।

Word by Word

• आराध्य: having worshipped
• आराध्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + राध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• देवेशम्: the Lord of the gods
• देवेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—देवानाम् ईशः

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• प्रपितामहम्: the great-grandfather (ancestor)
• प्रपितामहम्: Karma (Object in apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• वायुभक्षा: air-eating (living on air)
• वायुभक्षा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वायु + भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—वायुः भक्ष्यं यस्याः/या (वायु-भक्षः)

• निराहारा: without food, fasting
• निराहारा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—आहारः नास्ति यस्याः/या

• तोषयामास: pleased, satisfied (caused to be pleased)
• तोषयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत) परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative: ‘to cause to be pleased’)

• शंकरम्: Śaṅkara
• शंकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmakūṇḍa

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sāvitrī in ascetic posture near a sacred tank and liṅga shrine, minimal ornaments, controlled breath, offering flowers and water; Śiva’s presence felt as a luminous, tranquil force responding to her tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī (implied)
• Deveśa
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Brahmakūṇḍa vicinity
• Bhairava context

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity and disciplined worship (tapas) are presented as powerful means to win Śiva’s grace at a sacred site.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The area near Brahmakūṇḍa in Prabhāsa-kṣetra, within the third Bhairava context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas characterized by fasting (nirāhāra) and ‘living on air’ (vāyu-bhakṣā) while worshiping Śaṅkara.