Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 199

Devanagari script

कुर्वंत्यनशनं येऽत्र विष्णुभक्त्या सुनिश्चिताः । न तेषां पुनरावृत्तिः कल्पकोटिशतैरपि

Transliteration

kurvaṃtyanaśanaṃ ye'tra viṣṇubhaktyā suniścitāḥ | na teṣāṃ punarāvṛttiḥ kalpakoṭiśatairapi

Translation

Diejenigen, die hier Anāśana—Fasten bis zum Tod—auf sich nehmen, fest entschlossen aus Hingabe an Viṣṇu: für sie gibt es keine Wiederkehr zur Wiedergeburt, selbst nach Hunderten von Krore an Kalpas.

Word by Word

• कुर्वन्ति: do/undertake
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• अनशनम्: fasting
• अनशनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कुर्वन्ति इत्यस्य कर्म (fasting)

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (here)

• विष्णुभक्त्या: by devotion to Viṣṇu
• विष्णुभक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘विष्णु-भक्ति’ = विष्णौ भक्तिḥ (devotion to Viṣṇu)

• सुनिश्चिताः: firmly resolved
• सुनिश्चिताः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + निश्चित (कृदन्त; नि + √चि/√चित् धातु, क्त)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle) विशेषणरूपे, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ये इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (well-resolved/firmly determined)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• पुनरावृत्तिः: return (rebirth) again
• पुनरावृत्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुनर् (अव्यय) + आवृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘पुनर्-आवृत्ति’ = पुनः आवृत्तिः (return again), वाक्ये कर्तृपद (as subject of implied ‘asti’)

• कल्पकोटिशतैः: even by hundreds of crores of aeons
• कल्पकोटिशतैः: Karana (Instrument/measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘कल्प-कोटि-शत’ = कल्पानां कोटयः शतानि (hundreds of crores of aeons)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपवाद/अतिशयबोधक अव्यय (even/also)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced: Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narrative style—Brahmā to Nārada)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā (with implied focus on Gopratāra locale)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee on the Sarayū bank, emaciated yet radiant, seated in meditation with tulasī beads, eyes fixed inward on Viṣṇu; above, a luminous path or Vaikuṇṭha vision indicating ‘no return’.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Gopratāra Tīrtha (implied by 'atra')
• Anaśana
• Kalpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unshakable Viṣṇu-bhakti, combined with ultimate renunciation at a sanctified tīrtha, is portrayed as ensuring final liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘here’ refers to the glorified Gopratāra Tīrtha in Ayodhyā’s sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Anaśana (total fasting, described in the text as an ultimate vow), undertaken with firm Viṣṇu-devotion.