Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

अतिष्ठद्गहनेऽरण्ये दुःखान्यनुभवन्बहु । कल्पकोटिसहस्राणि कल्पकोटिशतानि च

Transliteration

atiṣṭhadgahane'raṇye duḥkhānyanubhavanbahu | kalpakoṭisahasrāṇi kalpakoṭiśatāni ca

Translation

Il demeura dans l’épaisseur de la forêt sauvage, endurant d’innombrables souffrances—durant des milliers de crores de kalpas, et même des centaines de crores de kalpas.

Word by Word

• अतिष्ठत्: stood, remained
• अतिष्ठत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• गहने: in the dense (place)
• गहने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः

• अरण्ये: in the wilderness/forest
• अरण्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• दुःखानि: sufferings
• दुःखानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• अनुभवन्: experiencing
• अनुभवन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु- (उपसर्ग) + भू (धातु) → अनुभवत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय, present active participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तरि ‘experiencing’

• बहु: many, much
• बहु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत्/विशेषण-प्रयोगः (बहु दुःखानि)

• कल्प: aeon
• कल्प: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• कोटि: crore (ten million)
• कोटि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; (गणनार्थे)

• कल्प: aeon
• कल्प: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• कोटि: crore
• कोटि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• शतानि: hundreds
• शतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; (गणनार्थे)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Setukhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary figure stands dwarfed by towering trees; the scene subtly cycles through ages—fading suns and moons—suggesting immeasurable time passing while suffering continues.

Characters & Entities

• Kalpa (cosmic age)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

By stretching suffering across cosmic time, the text underscores the seriousness of karmic consequence and the urgency of dharmic living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly; it supports the Setu Māhātmya’s broader purpose of motivating pilgrimage and purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.