Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

वर्षास्वाकाशस्थायी स हेमन्ते सलिलाश्रयः । पंचाग्निसाधको ग्रीष्मे स वभूवा निलाशनः

Transliteration

varṣāsvākāśasthāyī sa hemante salilāśrayaḥ | paṃcāgnisādhako grīṣme sa vabhūvā nilāśanaḥ

Translation

برسات میں وہ کھلے آسمان تلے ٹھہرا رہتا؛ جاڑے میں پانی کا سہارا لیتا؛ گرمی میں پانچ آگوں کی سادھنا کرتا؛ اور وہ صرف ہوا کو غذا بنا کر جیتا تھا۔

Word by Word

• वर्षासु: in the rainy seasons
• वर्षासु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• आकाशस्थायी: staying in the open sky
• आकाशस्थायी: Visheshya (Predicate adjective/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आकाश + स्थायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—आकाशे स्थायी (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• हेमन्ते: in winter
• हेमन्ते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेमन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सलिलाश्रयः: resorting to water
• सलिलाश्रयः: Visheshya (Predicate adjective/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सलिल + आश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—सलिले आश्रयः (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

• पञ्चाग्निसाधकः: practiser of the five-fire austerity
• पञ्चाग्निसाधकः: Visheshya (Predicate noun/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + अग्नि + साधक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—पञ्चानां अग्नीनां साधकः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• ग्रीष्मे: in summer
• ग्रीष्मे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रीष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• बभूव: became/was
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• निलाशनः: without food; fasting
• निलाशनः: Visheshya (Predicate adjective/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः + आशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—निः (अभावे) + आशनः (भोजनम्) → ‘अशनरहितः’ (नञ्/अव्यय-पूर्वपद-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naimiṣa (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A four-panel seasonal depiction of the ascetic’s vow: under monsoon clouds he stands exposed; in winter he sits immersed in cold water; in summer he performs pañcāgni with four fires around and the sun overhead; finally, he appears emaciated yet radiant, sustained only by air.

Characters & Entities

• Pañcāgni-tapas (five-fire austerity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity is portrayed as steadfast endurance across seasons, transforming the practitioner through disciplined self-restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The practices are undertaken in the Naimiṣa context, reinforcing the tīrtha as a seat of powerful tapas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Seasonal tapas disciplines: exposure to elements, water-resort in winter, pañcāgni in summer, and extreme fasting (air-subsistence).