Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तपश्चचार विपुलं भृगुर्वर्षसहस्रकम् । वायुभक्षो निराहारश्चिरं धमनिसंततः

Transliteration

tapaścacāra vipulaṃ bhṛgurvarṣasahasrakam | vāyubhakṣo nirāhāraściraṃ dhamanisaṃtataḥ

Translation

پھر بھِرگو نے ہزار برس تک نہایت عظیم تپسیا کی—ہوا کو غذا بنا کر، کھانے سے بالکل بے نیاز رہ کر، اور طویل مدت تک اپنے جسم کی نالیوں کو ضبط و ریاضت میں کشیدہ رکھ کر۔

Word by Word

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

• cacāra: practised; performed
• cacāra: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vipulam: great; abundant
• vipulam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vipula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘तपः’ विशेषण

• bhṛguḥ: Bhṛgu
• bhṛguḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhṛgu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• varṣa-sahasrakam: for a thousand years
• varṣa-sahasrakam: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Duration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + sahasraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास: सहस्रं वर्षाणि (a thousand years)

• vāyu-bhakṣaḥ: air-eating; living on air
• vāyu-bhakṣaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāyu (प्रातिपदिक) + bhakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘वायुः भक्ष्यः यस्य’ (one whose food is air)

• nir-āhāraḥ: without food
• nir-āhāraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir (उपसर्ग) + āhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निः-उपसर्गयुक्त (without food)

• ciram: for a long time
• ciram: Kāla (Time adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (adverbial accusative): चिरम् (for a long time)

• dhamani-saṃtataḥ: emaciated; with veins prominent
• dhamani-saṃtataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhamani (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃtata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘धमनिभिः संततः’ (stretched/extended with veins; i.e., emaciated)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhṛgu-tapas-sthāna (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhṛgu stands or sits in severe austerity for a thousand years—gaunt yet radiant, sustained by air alone, veins/channels taut—amid a quiet forest hermitage with minimal possessions.

Characters & Entities

• Bhṛgu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadfast tapas is portrayed as a transformative spiritual force that compels divine revelation and establishes sacred outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The austerity narrative functions as the backstory for the Kedāra-related māhātmya unfolding in this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas characterized by nirāhāra (fasting) and vāyubhakṣa (subsisting on breath/air), described as Bhṛgu’s practice.