Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

पृथिवीजयराज्येस्मिन्यत्र प्रबूत मा चिरम् । जना ऊचुः । श्रूयते नैमिषारण्ये सप्तकल्पस्मरो मुनिः

Transliteration

pṛthivījayarājyesminyatra prabūta mā ciram | janā ūcuḥ | śrūyate naimiṣāraṇye saptakalpasmaro muniḥ

Translation

ଏହି ପୃଥିବୀଜୟ ରାଜ୍ୟରେ, ଯେଉଁଠାରେ ତୁମେ (ତୁମ ଭାବନାନୁସାରେ) ଅଳ୍ପକାଳ ପୂର୍ବେ ରାଜ୍ୟ କରିଥିଲ, ଲୋକେ କହିଲେ—“ନୈମିଷାରଣ୍ୟରେ ସାତ କଳ୍ପ ସ୍ମରଣ କରୁଥିବା ଜଣେ ମୁନି ଅଛନ୍ତି ବୋଲି ଶୁଣାଯାଏ।”

Word by Word

• pṛthivī-jaya-rājye: in the kingdom of Pṛthivījaya
• pṛthivī-jaya-rājye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī-jaya-rājya (प्रातिपदिक; पृथिवी + जय + राज्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• asmin: in this
• asmin: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (relative adverb of place)

• prabūta: much/abundantly
• prabūta: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√bhū (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (contextual), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); अर्थ: ‘abundant/very much’ (used adverbially)

• mā: not
• mā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक निपात (prohibitive/negative particle)

• ciram: for long
• ciram: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (accusative used adverbially)

• janāḥ: people
• janāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• śrūyate: it is heard/it is said
• śrūyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• naimiṣa-araṇye: in the Naimiṣa forest
• naimiṣa-araṇye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naimiṣa-araṇya (प्रातिपदिक; नैमिष + अरण्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• sapta-kalpa-smaraḥ: one who remembers seven kalpas
• sapta-kalpa-smaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sapta-kalpa-smara (प्रातिपदिक; सप्त + कल्प + स्मर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• muniḥ: sage
• muniḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); apposition to sapta-kalpa-smaraḥ

Speaker

Narrator; quoted speech by the people

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naimiṣāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Villagers describe a legendary sage in Naimiṣāraṇya who remembers seven kalpas. The imagery shifts from city to sacred forest: hermitages, yajña fires, and a timeless atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Naimiṣāraṇya
• Muni (later: Mārkaṇḍeya)
• Kalpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred sages preserve dharma and history across immense cycles of time; seeking them is a path to clarity and right understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Naimiṣāraṇya is referenced as the sacred forest where the extraordinary sage resides.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the implied instruction is to go and inquire from the sage.