Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

अपि वर्षशतेनापि किं पुनः स्तोकवासरैः । तस्माद्वद महाभाग सुखोपायं च देहिनाम्

Transliteration

api varṣaśatenāpi kiṃ punaḥ stokavāsaraiḥ | tasmādvada mahābhāga sukhopāyaṃ ca dehinām

Translation

Ni siquiera en cien años podría lograrse, ¡cuánto menos en unos pocos días! Por eso, oh muy afortunado, dime un medio fácil para los seres encarnados.

Word by Word

• अपि: even
• अपि: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपि-कार (even)

• वर्षशतेन: by/within a hundred years
• वर्षशतेन: Karana (Instrument/Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वर्षाणां शतम्)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपि-कार (even)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogation/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative particle used adverbially)

• पुनः: then; moreover
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, पुनरुक्ति/अधिक्य (moreover; again)

• स्तोकवासरैः: by a few days
• स्तोकवासरैः: Karana (Instrument/Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तोक + वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (स्तोकाः वासराः)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति तद्धित-निपातवत्/अव्ययीभावार्थे, हेत्वर्थक (therefore; from that reason)

• वद: tell (me)
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• महाभाग: O greatly fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् भागः यस्य)

• सुखोपायम्: an easy means
• सुखोपायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख + उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सुखस्य उपायः)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• देहिनाम्: of embodied beings
• देहिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

Speaker

King of Ānarta (continuing)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahābhāga Muni (the greatly fortunate sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, earnest and slightly distressed, emphasizes the impossibility even in a hundred years; the sage appears compassionate, ready to reveal a simplifying doctrine.

Characters & Entities

• sukhopāya
• dehin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is taught with compassion for real constraints, offering a simplified path without losing spiritual potency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse requests a general, easy method related to tīrtha fruits.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None prescribed yet; it is a direct request for a “sukhopāya” suitable for ordinary people.