Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

स्थितौ युगसहस्रं तु पादेनैकेन भूतले । काश्यां च जाह्नवीतीरे तत्फलं लभते नरः

Transliteration

sthitau yugasahasraṃ tu pādenaikena bhūtale | kāśyāṃ ca jāhnavītīre tatphalaṃ labhate naraḥ

Translation

Seseorang memperoleh buah yang sama seperti berdiri di bumi dengan sebelah kaki selama seribu yuga—(sebagai tapa) di Kāśī dan di tebing Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā).

Word by Word

• स्थितौ: in (a state of) standing/remaining
• स्थितौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthā (धाातु) → sthita (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; 'स्थितिः/स्थिति' इत्यस्य सप्तमी—Locative of state/condition

• युगसहस्रम्: a thousand yugas
• युगसहस्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—'युगानां सहस्रम्' (a thousand of yugas)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), emphasis/contrast

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

• एकेन: with one
• एकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier) of पादेन

• भूतले: on the ground/earth-surface
• भूतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—'भूतेः तलम्' (surface of earth)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; Locative

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

• जाह्नवीतीरे: on the bank of the Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)
• जाह्नवीतीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाह्नवी + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—'जाह्नव्याः तीरम्' (bank of the Jāhnavī/Gaṅgā)

• तत्फलम्: that fruit/result
• तत्फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—'तस्य फलम्' (that result)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष? (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• नरः: a man/person
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Subject

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī; Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahīpāla (contextual continuity)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Split-scene equivalence: on one side, an ascetic in Kāśī stands on one foot by the Gaṅgā for immense time; on the other, a devotee keeps joyful vigil for Hari—both surrounded by a halo of equal merit.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text measures the vigil’s merit by equating it to extreme austerity and to the sanctity of famed tīrthas like Kāśī and Gaṅgā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) and the Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā) riverbank are explicitly referenced as benchmarks of merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An illustrative comparison to severe tapas (standing on one leg), used to express the scale of the promised fruit.