Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

यावत्कालेन हंसस्ते योजनं संप्रगच्छति । तावत्कालेन गच्छामि योजनानामहं शतम्

Transliteration

yāvatkālena haṃsaste yojanaṃ saṃpragacchati | tāvatkālena gacchāmi yojanānāmahaṃ śatam

Translation

जितने समय में तुम्हारा हंस एक योजन चलता है, उतने ही समय में मैं सौ योजन चला जाता हूँ।

Word by Word

• यावत्कालेन: in as much time as
• यावत्कालेन: Karaṇa (Measure/instrument of time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यावत् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय-स्वरूप) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अव्ययीभाव-सदृश प्रयोग: ‘in as much time’); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• हंसः: the swan
• हंसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (enclitic)

• योजनम्: one yojana (distance)
• योजनम्: Karma (Extent traversed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; परिमाणार्थे

• संप्रगच्छति: goes/travels
• संप्रगच्छति: Kriyā (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: सम् + प्र-

• तावत्कालेन: in that much time
• तावत्कालेन: Karaṇa (Measure/instrument of time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तावत् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय-स्वरूप) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘in that much time’); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• गच्छामि: I go/travel
• गच्छामि: Kriyā (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• योजनानाम्: of yojanas
• योजनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive of measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; परिमाण-सम्बन्धे (‘of yojanas’)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (Extent traversed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक, ‘a hundred’ (object/extent)

Speaker

Ketakī flower

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A speaking ketakī/flower compares its own rapid descent to Brahmā’s haṃsa flight; the infinite pillar dwarfs both motions.

Characters & Entities

• Ketakī flower
• Brahmā
• Haṃsa (Brahmā’s vehicle)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even extraordinary powers of movement or status cannot ‘reach’ the infinite; spiritual realization is not mere speed or effort.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None explicitly; it remains within the liṅga’s immeasurability narrative used to establish mahātmya authority.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.