Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

शिवो वर्षशतं यावत्तेन रूपेण च स्थितः । यावदुच्छ्वसितं वक्त्रं सदाशिवसमुद्भवम्

Transliteration

śivo varṣaśataṃ yāvattena rūpeṇa ca sthitaḥ | yāvaducchvasitaṃ vaktraṃ sadāśivasamudbhavam

Translation

শিব সেই রূপেই শত বৎসর স্থিত থাকেন—যতক্ষণ সদাশিব-সমুদ্ভূত মুখের উচ্ছ্বাস স্থায়ী থাকে।

Word by Word

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वर्षशतम्: a hundred years
• वर्षशतम्: Karma (Extent/कर्म-परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (शतं वर्षाणि)

• यावत्: as long as / up to
• यावत्: Desha-Kala (Extent/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधि-वाचक (extent/limit)

• तेन: by that / with that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• रूपेण: in that form
• रूपेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• स्थितः: remained
• स्थितः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि-भावे — 'standing/remaining'

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Desha-Kala (Extent/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधि-वाचक

• उच्छ्वसितम्: exhalation
• उच्छ्वसितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद् + श्वस् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) रूपेण नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'exhalation/breathing out' (भाववाचक)

• वक्त्रम्: mouth/face
• वक्त्रम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• सदाशिवसमुद्भवम्: arisen from Sadāśiva
• सदाशिवसमुद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदा (अव्यय) + शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + सम् + उद् + भू (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सदाशिवात् समुद्भवम्)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva in a luminous form standing in stillness; from Sadāśiva above emanates a subtle stream of breath-like light entering and leaving, forming a haloed ‘hundred-year’ arc as a symbolic band.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Sadāśiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It presents creation and duration as tied to Śiva’s divine breath—inviting contemplative reverence and Śaiva devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it provides Śaiva cosmological grounding within the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is theological-cosmological, using breath as a measure of endurance.