Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

वायुभक्षः शतं साग्रं तदर्धं रविवीक्षकः । एवं ध्यानरतस्यैव प्रत्यक्षस्त्रिपुरान्तकः

Transliteration

vāyubhakṣaḥ śataṃ sāgraṃ tadardhaṃ ravivīkṣakaḥ | evaṃ dhyānaratasyaiva pratyakṣastripurāntakaḥ

Translation

เขาดำรงชีพด้วยลมเป็นอาหารเกินกว่าร้อยวันเล็กน้อย; และครึ่งหนึ่งของเวลานั้นเขาจ้องเพ่งสุริยะไม่วางตา ครั้นผู้ตั้งมั่นในฌานเช่นนั้น ตรีปุรานตกะ (พระศิวะ) ก็ปรากฏแก่เขาโดยประจักษ์

Word by Word

• वायुभक्षः: air-eating (living on air)
• वायुभक्षः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (वायुः एव भक्ष्यं यस्य/वायुभक्षः); पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; तपस्विनः विशेषणम्

• शतम्: a hundred (years)
• शतम्: Karma (Measure/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्; कालपरिमाणे कर्म (measure)

• साग्रम्: and more (over and above)
• साग्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्; परिमाणविशेषणम् (with an additional amount)

• तदर्धम्: half of that
• तदर्धम्: Karma (Measure/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (तस्य अर्धम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्; परिमाणे कर्म

• रविवीक्षकः: sun-gazing
• रविवीक्षकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक) + वीक्षक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (रविं वीक्षते इति); पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (thus/in this manner)

• ध्यानरतस्य: of one absorbed in meditation
• ध्यानरतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (प्रातिपदिक; क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (ध्याने रतः); पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्ध

• एव: indeed / only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम् (emphasis/only)

• प्रत्यक्षः: manifest / visible
• प्रत्यक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रत्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; (अभवत्/आसीत् इति अध्याहार्य)

• त्रिपुरान्तकः: Tripurāntaka (Śiva, destroyer of Tripura)
• त्रिपुरान्तकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिपुर (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (त्रिपुरस्य अन्तकः); पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; शिवनाम

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; speaker not explicit in snippet)

Characters & Entities

• Tripurāntaka (Śiva)
• Sūrya (Ravi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere, sustained dhyāna and tapas culminate in divine grace—Śiva’s direct revelation (darśana).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly the Revā/Narmadā tapas-bhūmi of the chapter, though this verse focuses on practice and result (Śiva’s manifestation).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Austerities such as living on air (vāyu-bhakṣa) and sun-gazing (ravi-vīkṣa) are mentioned as tapas; they are narrative descriptions, not general injunctions.