Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

शतं सहस्रं विश्वं च सर्वमक्षय वाचकम् । परिमाणं शतं त्वेव नैतदक्षय्यवाचकम्

Transliteration

śataṃ sahasraṃ viśvaṃ ca sarvamakṣaya vācakam | parimāṇaṃ śataṃ tveva naitadakṣayyavācakam

Translation

„Hundert“, „tausend“ und „das ganze Weltall“—solche Ausdrücke können das Unerschöpfliche bezeichnen. Doch „hundert“, als bemessene Menge gesagt, ist kein Wort für das Unerschöpfliche.

Word by Word

• śatam: a hundred
• śatam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; numeral-noun

• sahasram: a thousand
• sahasram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; numeral-noun

• viśvam: the whole/world
• viśvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• sarvam: all
• sarvam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• akṣaya: imperishable; inexhaustible
• akṣaya: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (used predicatively with vācakam)

• vācakam: denoting word/term; indicator
• vācakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vācaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• parimāṇam: measure; quantity
• parimāṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parimāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• śatam: a hundred
• śatam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; numeral-noun

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• eva: only; indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• akṣayya-vācakam: an ‘inexhaustible’ denoting term
• akṣayya-vācakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-kṣayya + vācaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-भाव: ‘akṣayyaṃ vācakam’ (inexhaustible-denoting term)

Speaker

Unclear (didactic voice within the discourse; likely Sūta’s recitation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa-teacher explaining the subtle difference between measured numbers and ‘inexhaustible’ merit, with palm-leaf manuscript and disciples listening in a quiet āśrama setting.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural language uses numbers both literally and as indicators of vast/inexhaustible results; context determines meaning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is about interpretation and terminology, not sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it clarifies wording that may relate to ‘akṣaya’ merit in other contexts.