Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

तत्र वर्षसहस्राणि चत्वार्यायुःप्रकीर्तितम् । फलानां भोजनं च स्यात्पुनः पुण्यं च नार्ज्जयेत्

Transliteration

tatra varṣasahasrāṇi catvāryāyuḥprakīrtitam | phalānāṃ bhojanaṃ ca syātpunaḥ puṇyaṃ ca nārjjayet

Translation

അവിടെ നാലായിരം വർഷങ്ങളുടെ ആയുസ്സ് പ്രസ്താവിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു. ഫലങ്ങളേ ആഹാരമാകൂ; പിന്നെയും (മർത്ത്യലോകത്തെപ്പോലെ) പുതുപുണ്യം സമ്പാദിക്കപ്പെടുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: 'there')

• वर्षसहस्राणि: thousands of years
• वर्षसहस्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वर्षाणां सहस्राणि = thousands of years)

• चत्वारि: four
• चत्वारि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण

• आयुःप्रकीर्तितम्: is proclaimed as the lifespan
• आयुःप्रकीर्तितम्: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रकीर्तित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आयुषः प्रकीर्तितम् = proclaimed as lifespan); 'चत्वारि वर्षसहस्राणि' इत्यस्य विधेयम्

• फलानाम्: of fruits
• फलानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• भोजनम्: eating/food
• भोजनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुज् (धातु) + ल्युट्/अन (कृत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियानाम (eating/food)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (and)

• स्यात्: would be/should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'again')

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (and)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात (negation)

• अर्ज्जयेत्: would obtain/earn
• अर्ज्जयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kalāpa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene, verdant village of Kalāpa with fruit-laden trees; inhabitants calm and radiant; the pilgrim lives simply on fruits; an atmosphere of long, unhurried time, with no bustling ritual economy.

Characters & Entities

• Kalāpa-grāma (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human life is uniquely suited for earning puṇya through dharma; higher realms may offer long life, yet not the same opportunity for fresh merit.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Kalāpa-grāma is the implied location where these extraordinary conditions are described.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It mentions a mode of living there—subsisting on fruits—rather than a formal rite.