Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

बलेस्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा उशना प्रत्युवाच तम् । अश्वमेधशतेनैव सुरराज्यं भविष्यति । दीक्षितस्य न संदेहस्तस्माद्भोक्त स एव च

Transliteration

balestadvacanaṃ śrutvā uśanā pratyuvāca tam | aśvamedhaśatenaiva surarājyaṃ bhaviṣyati | dīkṣitasya na saṃdehastasmādbhokta sa eva ca

Translation

Als Uśanā (Śukra) Balis Worte hörte, erwiderte er: „Durch die Darbringung von hundert Aśvamedha-Opfern wird gewiss die Herrschaft über die Götter entstehen. Für den rechtmäßig Geweihten besteht kein Zweifel—darum wird er allein sie genießen.“

Word by Word

• baleḥ: of Bali
• baleḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying vacanam)

• vacanam: statement/words
• vacanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having heard’

• uśanā: Uśanā (Śukra)
• uśanā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uśanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• pratyuvāca: replied
• pratyuvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tam: to him
• tam: Sampradana/Karma (Addressee/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• aśvamedhaśatena: by (performing) a hundred Aśvamedhas
• aśvamedhaśatena: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśvamedha + śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘a hundred of aśvamedhas’)

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

• surarājyam: the sovereignty of the gods
• surarājyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura + rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘kingdom of the gods’)

• bhaviṣyati: will be/will come to be
• bhaviṣyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• dīkṣitasya: of the consecrated one (initiated sacrificer)
• dīkṣitasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīkṣita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• na: not/no
• na: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधबोधक अव्यय (negation)

• saṃdehaḥ: doubt
• saṃdehaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃdeha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इत्यव्ययप्रयोगः (ablatival adverb: ‘therefore/from that’)

• bhoktā: the enjoyer (will be)
• bhoktā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhuj (धातु)
• Form: तृच्-प्रत्ययान्त कर्तृवाचक कृदन्त (Agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘enjoyer/one who will enjoy’

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणबोधक अव्यय (emphasis)

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

Speaker

Uśanā (Śukra), guru of Bali

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śukra (Uśanā), the daitya-guru, calmly instructs Bali: perform a hundred Aśvamedhas to secure Indra’s sovereignty; ritual certainty emphasized by authoritative gesture.

Characters & Entities

• Bali
• Uśanā/Śukra
• Aśvamedha
• Sura-rājya (Indra’s sovereignty)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual power in the Purāṇic worldview is tied to proper consecration (dīkṣā) and disciplined dharma; results follow ordained rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it focuses on sacrificial means to sovereignty.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The performance of a hundred Aśvamedha sacrifices, undertaken with proper dīkṣā (consecration).