Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

ग्रीष्मे पंचाग्निमध्यस्थः शिशिरे वारिषु स्थितः । वर्षास्वाकाशगो नित्यमूर्ध्वबाहुर्निराश्रयः

Transliteration

grīṣme paṃcāgnimadhyasthaḥ śiśire vāriṣu sthitaḥ | varṣāsvākāśago nityamūrdhvabāhurnirāśrayaḥ

Translation

ครั้นฤดูร้อน เขายืนอยู่ท่ามกลางไฟทั้งห้า; ครั้นฤดูหนาว เขาสถิตอยู่ในสายน้ำ; ครั้นฤดูฝน เขาอยู่กลางแจ้งใต้ฟ้าตลอดกาล—ยกแขนขึ้นเหนือศีรษะ ไร้ที่พึ่งพิง

Word by Word

• ग्रीष्मे: in summer
• ग्रीष्मे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रीष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण/काल), एकवचन

• पञ्चाग्निमध्यस्थः: standing amid five fires
• पञ्चाग्निमध्यस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (√स्था धातु, क्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (पञ्चाग्नीनां मध्ये स्थः)

• शिशिरे: in winter
• शिशिरे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (काल), एकवचन

• वारिषु: in waters
• वारिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• स्थितः: standing, remaining
• स्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (stood/remaining)

• वर्षासु: in the rainy seasons
• वर्षासु: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (काल), बहुवचन

• आकाशगः: moving/remaining in the open sky
• आकाशगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (√गम् धातु, क्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (आकाशे गः)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• ऊर्ध्वबाहुः: with arms raised upward
• ऊर्ध्वबाहुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक) + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (ऊर्ध्वौ बाहू यस्य/ऊर्ध्वबाहुः)

• निराश्रयः: without shelter/support
• निराश्रयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + आश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (without support/shelter)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kauśikī-tīra (contextual)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triptych-like depiction of the same ascetic across seasons: summer surrounded by four fires and the sun as the fifth; winter standing in icy water; monsoon under open sky with arms raised, unmoving.

Characters & Entities

• Kauśika (Viśvāmitra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity is depicted as unwavering endurance across all conditions, revealing the steadiness required for higher spiritual qualification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it focuses on the method and intensity of tapas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pañcāgni-tapas, standing in water in winter, and sky-exposure in the rains—classic austerity observances.