Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

तिष्ठेद्युगसहस्रं तु पादेनैकेन यः पुमान् । विधिवत्संगमे स्नायात्पौष्यां तदविशेषतः

Transliteration

tiṣṭhedyugasahasraṃ tu pādenaikena yaḥ pumān | vidhivatsaṃgame snāyātpauṣyāṃ tadaviśeṣataḥ

Translation

ഒരു പുരുഷൻ ഒരുകാലിൽ സഹസ്രയുഗം നിൽക്കുകയാണെങ്കിലും, പുഷ്യ നക്ഷത്രദിനത്തിൽ സംഗമത്തിൽ വിധിപൂർവ്വം സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത ഫലത്തിൽ നിന്ന് അതിന് വ്യത്യാസമില്ല.

Word by Word

• तिष्ठेत्: would stand / remain
• तिष्ठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• युगसहस्रम्: a thousand yugas
• युगसहस्रम्: Karma (Extent/परिमाण-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (युगानां सहस्रम्)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• पादेन: with a foot
• पादेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• एकेन: with one
• एकेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘पादेन’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सूचक (relative pronoun)

• पुमान्: a man
• पुमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुमांस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विधिवत्: properly, as prescribed
• विधिवत्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: ‘according to rule’)

• संगमे: at the confluence
• संगमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• स्नायात्: should bathe
• स्नायात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• पौष्यां: on (the day of) Puṣya (nakṣatra)
• पौष्यां: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौषी/पौष्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; नक्षत्र-नाम

• तत्: that (result)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; निर्देश (correlative)

• अविशेषतः: without distinction; equally
• अविशेषतः: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अविशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: ‘without distinction/especially’)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced: Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-saṅgama

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/pilgrims (general)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone ascetic stands on one foot in a forest for aeons, contrasted with a bustling yet serene saṅgama at Ayodhyā where devotees bathe on Puṣya day; the verse’s point is shown by a scale-like visual: simple snāna outweighs extreme tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣya (nakṣatra)
• Saṅgama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Grace at a supremely sanctified tīrtha—especially on an auspicious star-day—can equal ascetic feats of unimaginable duration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Ayodhyā saṅgama (confluence) where bathing is praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vidhivat snāna (rule-based bathing) at the saṅgama specifically on Puṣya (pauṣyām).