Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 151

Devanagari script

अश्वमेधशतेनैव यज त्वं जातवेदसम् । कर्म्मभूमिं गतो भूत्वा मा विलंबितुमर्हसि

Transliteration

aśvamedhaśatenaiva yaja tvaṃ jātavedasam | karmmabhūmiṃ gato bhūtvā mā vilaṃbitumarhasi

Translation

നീ നൂറ് അശ്വമേധയാഗങ്ങളാൽ ജാതവേദസ് (അഗ്നി)നെ വിധിപൂർവ്വം ആരാധിക്ക. കർമ്മഭൂമിയിൽ എത്തിയ ശേഷം ഇനി വൈകുവാൻ നിനക്കു യുക്തിയില്ല.

Word by Word

• अश्वमेधशतेन: by a hundred Aśvamedha sacrifices
• अश्वमेधशतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अश्वमेधानां शतम्)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• यज: perform sacrifice / worship
• यज: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जातवेदसम्: Jātavedas (Agni)
• जातवेदसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जातवेदस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कर्मभूमिम्: the ritual ground / field of action
• कर्मभूमिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कर्मणः भूमिः)

• गतः: having gone
• गतः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भूत्वा: having become/being
• भूत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• मा: do not
• मा: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक निपात (prohibitive particle)

• विलंबितुम्: to delay
• विलंबितुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विलम्ब् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive)

• अर्हसि: you ought/are fit
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Śukra (within Sūta’s narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A commanding preceptor-voice urges the king to worship Agni Jātavedas through a hundred Aśvamedhas and to depart immediately for the ritual ground; the mood is directive and martial-ritual.

Characters & Entities

• Śukra
• Bali
• Agni (Jātavedas)
• Aśvamedha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is enacted through timely, disciplined sacred action; delay weakens resolve and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to a “karmabhūmi” (proper ritual ground); the narrative soon specifies a great tīrtha on the Narmadā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of one hundred Aśvamedha yajñas, with Agni (Jātavedas) as the sacrificial focus.