Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

अश्वमेधसहस्रस्य वाजपेयशतस्य च । कुरुक्षेत्रे महाक्षेत्रे राहुग्रस्ते दिवाकरे

Transliteration

aśvamedhasahasrasya vājapeyaśatasya ca | kurukṣetre mahākṣetre rāhugraste divākare

Translation

ഈ പുണ്യം സഹസ്ര അശ്വമേധയാഗങ്ങളുടെയും ശത വാജപേയയാഗങ്ങളുടെയും തുല്യം—മഹാക്ഷേത്രമായ കുരുക്ഷേത്രത്തിലും, ദിവാകരൻ രാഹുഗ്രസ്തനാകുന്ന (ഗ്രഹണം) സമയത്തുപോലും.

Word by Word

• अश्वमेधसहस्रस्य: of a thousand Aśvamedha sacrifices
• अश्वमेधसहस्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अश्वमेधानां सहस्रम्)

• वाजपेयशतस्य: of a hundred Vājapeya sacrifices
• वाजपेयशतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजपेय + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वाजपेयस्य शतम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कुरुक्षेत्रे: in Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरुक्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (कुरूणां क्षेत्रम्)

• महाक्षेत्रे: in the great holy field
• महाक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् क्षेत्रम्)

• राहुग्रस्ते: when seized by Rāhu (eclipsed)
• राहुग्रस्ते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राहु + ग्रस्त (कृदन्त; √ग्रस् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (राहुणा ग्रस्तः)

• दिवाकरे: in/at the sun
• दिवाकरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवाकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (दिवा करोति इति)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced: Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā (implied) compared with Kurukṣetra-mahākṣetra (explicit)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vipra (continuation from prior verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic solar eclipse over Kurukṣetra with pilgrims bathing and giving charity, juxtaposed (or implied) with Ayodhyā’s serene sangama—showing that Ayodhyā’s merit equals those peak conditions.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvamedha
• Vājapeya
• Kurukṣetra
• Rāhu
• Sun

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic māhātmyas elevate tīrtha devotion by comparing it to the highest Vedic sacrifices and rare cosmic occasions like eclipses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Primarily the Ayodhyā saṅgama; Kurukṣetra is invoked as a benchmark of renowned tīrtha merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly references great yajñas (Aśvamedha, Vājapeya) and grahaṇa-time sanctity (Rāhu-grasta sun), used for merit comparison.