Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

वर्षेण चैव देवानां मतः सप्तर्षिवासरः । सप्तर्षीणां च वर्षेण ध्रौवश्च दिवसः स्मृतः

Transliteration

varṣeṇa caiva devānāṃ mataḥ saptarṣivāsaraḥ | saptarṣīṇāṃ ca varṣeṇa dhrauvaśca divasaḥ smṛtaḥ

Translation

Nach dem Maß eines Jahres wird der ‘Tag’ der Götter als der Tag der Sieben Weisen (Saptarṣis) verstanden. Und nach dem Maß eines Jahres der Saptarṣis wird auch der Tag Dhruvas in Erinnerung gehalten.

Word by Word

• वर्षेण: by a year
• वर्षेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by/with a year)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; Genitive plural (of the gods)

• मतः: is considered
• मतः: Karmaṇi-bhāva / Predicative
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन् (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय) → मत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Past passive participle used predicatively (is considered)

• सप्तर्षिवासरः: a day of the Seven Sages
• सप्तर्षिवासरः: Karta/Pradhāna (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त + ऋषि + वासर (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सप्तर्षीणां वासरः)

• सप्तर्षीणाम्: of the Seven Sages
• सप्तर्षीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Dvigu compound functioning as a noun (of the Seven Sages)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• वर्षेण: by a year
• वर्षेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• ध्रौवः: Dhruva-related/fixed
• ध्रौवः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Adjectival use (pertaining to Dhruva / fixed)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (enclitic conjunction; from sandhi in ध्रौवश्च)

• दिवसः: a day
• दिवसः: Karta/Pradhāna (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• स्मृतः: is stated/known as
• स्मृतः: Karmaṇi-bhāva / Predicative
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + त (कृत्) → स्मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Past passive participle used predicatively (is said/remembered)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic diagram-like scene: Saptarṣis as a stellar procession (Ursa Major) marking a ‘day’ for devas; Dhruva (Pole Star) as the unmoving axis above, with concentric rings of time-measurements.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Saptarṣis
• Dhruva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The universe is ordered through layered measures of kāla, linking gods, sages, and cosmic stability (Dhruva).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse belongs to cosmological instruction rather than a site-māhātmya passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it supports Purāṇic understanding used when contextualizing yugas, manvantaras, and ritual calendars.