Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

उत्सवो विपुलः सद्भिः शेषपूजापुरःसरम् । उत्सवे तु कृते तत्र तीर्थे महति मानवैः

Transliteration

utsavo vipulaḥ sadbhiḥ śeṣapūjāpuraḥsaram | utsave tu kṛte tatra tīrthe mahati mānavaiḥ

Translation

Die Frommen sollen ein großes Fest begehen, dem die Verehrung Śeṣas vorangeht. Wenn dieses Fest dort von den Menschen an jenem großen Tīrtha vollzogen wird…

Word by Word

• उत्सवः: festival
• उत्सवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विपुलः: great; abundant
• विपुलः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सद्भिः: by the good (people)
• सद्भिः: Karana (Agent/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन

• शेष-पूजा-पुरःसरम्: preceded by the worship of Śeṣa
• शेष-पूजा-पुरःसरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरःसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (शेषस्य पूजा पुरःसरः यस्य)

• उत्सवे: when the festival (is held)
• उत्सवे: Adhikarana (Time/occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• कृते: when (it is) done
• कृते: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘कृते’ = ‘when done’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• तीर्थे: at the sacred place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महति: great
• महति: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मानवैः: by people; by humans
• मानवैः: Karana (Agent/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced for Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa–Ayodhyāmāhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-tīrtha (Sarayū-associated)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand riverside tīrtha festival in Ayodhyā: devotees assemble with banners and lamps; a prominent shrine/altar for Śeṣa is worshipped first; brāhmaṇas chant while pilgrims prepare for bathing and offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Śeṣa
• mahātīrtha (Sarayū/Ayodhyā context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Public, devotional celebration centered on rightful worship sustains sacred tradition and protects communal well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The great tīrtha in Ayodhyā on the Sarayū (Sahasradhārā context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Holding a large utsava with Śeṣa-pūjā as the principal component.