Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

दिव्यं वर्ष सहस्रं तु पुरुषायितसंज्ञितम् । तपस्तप्तं महत्ताभिः पुरुषैरपि दुष्करम्

Transliteration

divyaṃ varṣa sahasraṃ tu puruṣāyitasaṃjñitam | tapastaptaṃ mahattābhiḥ puruṣairapi duṣkaram

Translation

千の天年――「プルシャーイタ」と称される期間――彼ら偉大なる者たちはタパス（苦行）を修し、これは男子にとってさえ成し難い修行であった。

Word by Word

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• वर्ष: year
• वर्ष: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सहस्रम्: a thousand
• सहस्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-शब्दः

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

• पुरुषायितसंज्ञितम्: called ‘Puruṣāyita’
• पुरुषायितसंज्ञितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरुषायित (पुरुष + आयित; कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञित (सम्-ज्ञा; कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘पुरुषायित-नामकं’

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तप्तम्: performed
• तप्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तप् (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘performed/undertaken’

• महत्ताभिः: by great (persons/ones)
• महत्ताभिः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• पुरुषैः: by men
• पुरुषैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक

• दुष्करम्: difficult to do
• दुष्करम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (Gaṇas’ account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nakṣatreśvara vicinity (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Primary audience of the Kāśī-māhātmya discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ascetics (the ‘great ones’) perform severe austerities for a thousand divine years: matted hair, ash-smeared bodies, seated in meditation near the riverbank shrine; seasons pass—sun, rain, and wind—yet their posture remains unwavering.

Characters & Entities

• Puruṣāyita (time-period/observance name)
• Kumārikās (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True spiritual attainment is measured by endurance and steadfast discipline sustained over vast spans of time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The austerity is part of the Kāśī-centered narrative connected with Nakṣatreśvara/Saṅgameśvara environs.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas for a defined sacred duration (a thousand divine years, ‘Puruṣāyita’) is described, though details of the method are not specified.