Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

उपासामाचरद्भक्त्या सा चैनमन्वमन्यत । दशवत्सरशेषस्य सहस्रस्य तदा दितिः

Transliteration

upāsāmācaradbhaktyā sā cainamanvamanyata | daśavatsaraśeṣasya sahasrasya tadā ditiḥ

Translation

അവൾ ഭക്തിയോടെ ഉപാസന നടത്തി, മനസ്സിൽ അവനെ നിരന്തരം ആദരിച്ച് സ്മരിച്ചു; അപ്പോൾ ദിതിയുടെ ആയിരം വർഷങ്ങളിൽ പത്ത് വർഷം മാത്രം ശേഷിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• उपासाम्: worship/service
• उपासाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपासा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — feminine accusative singular

• आचरन्: practising/performing
• आचरन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चर् (धातु) → आचरन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — present active participle; पदपाठे ‘आचरद्’ इति सन्ध्यन्तररूपं (आचरन् + …)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — feminine instrumental singular

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — feminine nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — conjunction

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — masculine accusative singular (enclitic/pronominal)

• अन्वमन्यत: followed/assented to; attended upon
• अन्वमन्यत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + मन् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — imperfect, 3rd person singular; आत्मनेपद

• दशवत्सरशेषस्य: of (a period) with ten years remaining
• दशवत्सरशेषस्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश + वत्सर + शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — genitive singular; समासः (तत्पुरुष): “दशवत्सरः शेषः यस्य” (with ten years remaining) qualifying सहस्रस्य

• सहस्रस्य: of the thousand (years)
• सहस्रस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — neuter genitive singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Time/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) — adverb of time

• दितिः: Diti
• दितिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — feminine nominative singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Diti in prolonged worship: offering flowers and water outwardly while inwardly meditating; a subtle visual device shows a luminous heart-lotus indicating mental honoring; a ‘ten-year’ marker (ten lamps/ten lotuses) suggests the remaining time.

Characters & Entities

• Diti
• Indra
• Upāsanā
• Vrata (thousand-year observance)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti expressed through sustained upāsanā gains power through endurance and faithful continuation over time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader episode remains situated at Puṣkara, the vowed residence from the preceding verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devotional worship (upāsanā) maintained as part of a long-term vrata/niyama is emphasized.