Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

पंच कोटीस्तु वर्षाणां संख्यताः संख्याया प्रिये । नियुतान्येकषष्टिं च संख्यावद्भिरुदाहृतम्

Transliteration

paṃca koṭīstu varṣāṇāṃ saṃkhyatāḥ saṃkhyāyā priye | niyutānyekaṣaṣṭiṃ ca saṃkhyāvadbhirudāhṛtam

Translation

Ô bien-aimé, le décompte des années est donné comme cinq koṭis; et, de plus, soixante et un niyutas — ainsi l’énoncent ceux qui maîtrisent l’art du calcul.

Word by Word

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; (Numeral, indeclinable-like usage) — कोटीः इति विशेषणम्

• कोटीः: crores
• कोटीः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Plural)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• वर्षाणाम्: of years
• वर्षाणाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Plural)

• संख्यताः: counted/numbered
• संख्यताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संख्यत (कृदन्त; √ख्या (धातु) + सम्, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Feminine, Nominative, Plural; past passive participle) — कोटीः इति विशेषणम्

• संख्यायाः: of the number/count
• संख्यायाः: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Genitive, Singular)

• प्रिये: O dear one
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Vocative, Singular)

• नियुतानि: niyutas (ten-thousands)
• नियुतानि: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Plural)

• एकषष्टिम्: sixty-one
• एकषष्टिम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक-षष्टि (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular) — नियुतानि इत्यस्य संख्याविशेषणम्; (sixty-one)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• संख्यावद्भिः: by those skilled in counting
• संख्यावद्भिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agentive means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्यावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural) — ‘संख्यावत्’ = संख्याज्ञ/गणक (those skilled in counting)

• उदाहृतम्: has been stated/mentioned
• उदाहृतम्: Kriyā (Predicate; passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उदाहृत (कृदन्त; √हृ (धातु) + उद्, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Neuter, Nominative, Singular; PPP) — कर्मणि प्रयोगः, ‘(इदं) उदाहृतम्’ = ‘has been stated’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa Māhātmya discourse style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: priye (addressed beloved listener; specific identity not given in the provided excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator addresses a beloved listener and states an enormous reckoning of years—five koṭis plus sixty-one niyutas—invoking the authority of expert enumerators; the scene is less visual action and more cosmic accounting.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas use vast time scales to show that worldly power can endure long yet remains impermanent before dharma and divine order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader glorification is of Prabhāsa-kṣetra; this verse supports the narrative framework rather than naming a sub-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse focuses on numerical reckoning and chronology.