Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

त्र्यधिके वा अशीत्यब्दे चतुर्मासयुते ततः । भवेच्चन्द्रसहस्रं तु तावज्जीवति यो नरः । उद्यापनं प्रकर्त्तव्यं तेन यात्रा प्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

tryadhike vā aśītyabde caturmāsayute tataḥ | bhaveccandrasahasraṃ tu tāvajjīvati yo naraḥ | udyāpanaṃ prakarttavyaṃ tena yātrā prayatnataḥ

Translation

Oder auch: Nach dreiundachtzig Jahren, dazu noch vier Monate, ist das Gelübde der «tausend Monde» erfüllt—wenn ein Mensch so lange lebt. Dann soll er mit Ernst das udyāpana vollziehen und die Pilgerfahrt mit gebührender Mühe antreten.

Word by Word

• त्रि-अधिके: in (the year) with three added
• त्रि-अधिके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे (सन्दर्भे 'अब्दे' इति पुंलिङ्गे), सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; 'in (a year) with three added' = 'in the 83rd'

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (particle of alternative)

• अशीति-अब्दे: in the eightieth year
• अशीति-अब्दे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशीति (संख्या) + अब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (संख्यापूर्वपद); पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; 'in the eightieth year'

• चतुर्मास-युते: with four months added
• चतुर्मास-युते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या) + मास (प्रातिपदिक) + युत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; 'चतुर्मास' (द्विगु) + 'युत' (क्त); पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; 'with four months added' qualifying the time

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adverbial (Kriya-visheshana/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तरार्थक (thereafter/then)

• भवेत्: would be/occurs
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• चन्द्र-सहस्रम्: a thousand moons (i.e., months)
• चन्द्र-सहस्रम्: Karma (Object/Predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; here as predicate nominative with 'भवेत्'

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-निपात

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Adverbial (Kriya-visheshana/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक अव्यय; 'so long/that much'

• जीवति: lives
• जीवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• नरः: man/person
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'यः नरः'

• उद्यापनम्: concluding ceremony (udyāpana)
• उद्यापनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद् (उपसर्ग) + या (धातु) → उद्यापन (कृदन्त/भाव-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाववाचक संज्ञा (concluding rite)

• प्रकर्त्तव्यम्: must be done
• प्रकर्त्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण 'to be done' agreeing with 'उद्यापनम्'

• तेन: by him/therefore
• तेन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/हेतु-भावे 'by him/therefore'

• यात्रा: pilgrimage/journey (rite)
• यात्रा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; here as implied object of 'प्रकर्त्तव्यम्' (to be performed)

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort
• प्रयत्नतः: Adverbial (Kriya-visheshana/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय; manner adverb 'with effort'

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa discourse style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra (contextual destination/venue)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An elderly devotee, having fulfilled ‘candra-sahasra’, sets out on pilgrimage with attendants; a ceremonial udyāpana precedes departure, with moon symbolism overhead and Ayodhyā’s sacred markers in view.

Characters & Entities

• Candra (Moon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A long life should culminate in completing sacred vows properly and sealing them through pilgrimage and udyāpana.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is embedded in Ayodhyā Māhātmya, aligning the vow’s completion with pilgrimage (yātrā) to the sacred kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes udyāpana upon completing the ‘thousand moons’ count, along with undertaking yātrā diligently.