Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 156

Devanagari script

यज्ञानामूनमेकेन शतं दीक्षापरेण हि । बलिना चाश्वमेधानां पूर्णं कर्तुं समादधे

Transliteration

yajñānāmūnamekena śataṃ dīkṣāpareṇa hi | balinā cāśvamedhānāṃ pūrṇaṃ kartuṃ samādadhe

Translation

Pour ce roi voué à la dīkṣā, le nombre des sacrifices manquait d’un pour atteindre cent ; aussi Bali résolut-il d’achever entièrement le compte des Aśvamedha.

Word by Word

• yajñānām: of sacrifices
• yajñānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• ūnam: deficient, short
• ūnam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ūna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (yajñaśatam implied)

• ekena: by one
• ekena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; संख्याविशेषणम्

• śatam: a hundred
• śatam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• dīkṣāpareṇa: by one devoted to initiation (dīkṣā)
• dīkṣāpareṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīkṣā-para (प्रातिपदिक; dīkṣā + para)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘दीक्षायां परः’ इति तत्पुरुषः

• hi: indeed
• hi: Discourse particle (Nipāta/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• balinā: by Bali (the king)
• balinā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: balin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• aśvamedhānām: of horse-sacrifices
• aśvamedhānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśvamedha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘अश्वस्य मेधः’ इति तत्पुरुषः

• pūrṇam: complete
• pūrṇam: Karma (Object complement/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मविशेषणम् (śatam)

• kartum: to make/do
• kartum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), ‘कर्तुम्’

• samādadhe: he undertook, set about
• samādadhe: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√dhā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer (typically a sage/assembly; exact interlocutor not specified in the provided excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal sacrificial arena with the Aśvamedha horse tethered; Bali, crowned and resolute, consults priests about completing the hundredth sacrifice; banners, fire-altars, and Vedic reciters surround the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Bali
• Aśvamedha
• Dīkṣā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vows and sacred undertakings should be completed fully; dharma values perseverance and wholeness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ritual sequence remains situated in the Narmadā-related mahātīrtha narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Completion of a full set of one hundred Aśvamedha sacrifices.