Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 112

Devanagari script

ततश्च न्यवसत्तत्र तपः कर्तुं सहर्षिभिः । ऊर्द्ध्वपादाः स्थिता विप्राः पीत्वा धूममधोमुखाः । शुष्कपत्राशनाश्चान्ये अन्ये वै फलभोजनाः

Transliteration

tataśca nyavasattatra tapaḥ kartuṃ saharṣibhiḥ | ūrddhvapādāḥ sthitā viprāḥ pītvā dhūmamadhomukhāḥ | śuṣkapatrāśanāścānye anye vai phalabhojanāḥ

Translation

ต่อมา พระองค์ประทับอยู่ที่นั่นร่วมกับฤๅษีทั้งหลายเพื่อบำเพ็ญตบะ บราหมณ์บางพวกยืนยกเท้าขึ้น บางพวกก้มหน้าดื่มควัน บางพวกฉันใบไม้แห้ง และบางพวกดำรงชีพด้วยผลไม้เท่านั้น

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then; thereafter
• tataḥ: Kāla/Anantarya (Thereafter)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय, तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• nyavasat: dwelt; stayed
• nyavasat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni- (उपसर्ग) + vas (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

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

• tapaḥ: austerity; penance
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• kartum: to do
• kartum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive)

• saḥ: with
• saḥ: Compound-member
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासाङ्ग (सह-पूर्वपद)

• ṛṣibhiḥ: with sages
• ṛṣibhiḥ: Sahakari (Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• ūrddhvapādāḥ: (those) with feet raised upward
• ūrddhvapādāḥ: Karta (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ūrddhva (प्रातिपदिक) + pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहि (ऊर्ध्वौ पादौ येषां ते) विशेषण (viprāḥ)

• sthitāḥ: standing; remaining
• sthitāḥ: Kriya (State)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण/विधेय (viprāḥ)

• viprāḥ: Brahmins
• viprāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• pītvā: having drunk
• pītvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive)

• dhūmam: smoke
• dhūmam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhūma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• adhomukhāḥ: with faces downward
• adhomukhāḥ: Karta (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhaḥ (अव्यय) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहि (अधो मुखं येषां ते) विशेषण (viprāḥ)

• śuṣkapatrāśanāḥ: eating dry leaves
• śuṣkapatrāśanāḥ: Karta (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuṣka (प्रातिपदिक) + patra (प्रातिपदिक) + āśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (anye); तत्पुरुष (शुष्कपत्रम् आशनं येषां/शुष्कपत्राशन = शुष्कपत्रभोजिनः)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• anye: others
• anye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• anye: others
• anye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• vai: indeed
• vai: Nipata (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय (particle/emphasis)

• phalabhojanāḥ: fruit-eaters
• phalabhojanāḥ: Karta (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक) + bhojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (anye); तत्पुरुष (फल-भोजन = फलभोजिनः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic grove near the tīrtha: King Gaja now in simpler attire among ṛṣis; brāhmaṇas performing severe austerities—some standing on raised feet (ūrdhvapāda), some inverted drinking smoke (dhūma-pāna), others eating dry leaves; the air hazy with incense/smoke, quiet intensity.

Characters & Entities

• ṛṣis
• vipras (brāhmaṇas)
• Vastrāpathakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A holy site becomes a living āśrama when seekers adopt disciplined austerities suited to their capacity and intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra, presented as a place where sages and brāhmaṇas intensify tapas for spiritual fruition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas through bodily disciplines and regulated diets—standing postures, dhūmapāna (smoke-drinking), and restricted foods like dry leaves or fruits.