Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

उत्सवो विपुलः सद्भिः शेषपूजापुरःसरम् । उत्सवे तु कृते तत्र तीर्थे महति मानवैः

Transliteration

utsavo vipulaḥ sadbhiḥ śeṣapūjāpuraḥsaram | utsave tu kṛte tatra tīrthe mahati mānavaiḥ

Translation

सद्भिर्विपुल उत्सवः कर्तव्यः, शेषपूजापुरःसरः। तत्र महति तीर्थे मानवैः उत्सवे कृते…

Word by Word

• उत्सवः: festival
• उत्सवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विपुलः: great; abundant
• विपुलः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सद्भिः: by the good (people)
• सद्भिः: Karana (Agent/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन

• शेष-पूजा-पुरःसरम्: preceded by the worship of Śeṣa
• शेष-पूजा-पुरःसरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरःसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (शेषस्य पूजा पुरःसरः यस्य)

• उत्सवे: when the festival (is held)
• उत्सवे: Adhikarana (Time/occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• कृते: when (it is) done
• कृते: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘कृते’ = ‘when done’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• तीर्थे: at the sacred place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महति: great
• महति: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मानवैः: by people; by humans
• मानवैः: Karana (Agent/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced for Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa–Ayodhyāmāhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-tīrtha (Sarayū-associated)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand riverside tīrtha festival in Ayodhyā: devotees assemble with banners and lamps; a prominent shrine/altar for Śeṣa is worshipped first; brāhmaṇas chant while pilgrims prepare for bathing and offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Śeṣa
• mahātīrtha (Sarayū/Ayodhyā context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Public, devotional celebration centered on rightful worship sustains sacred tradition and protects communal well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The great tīrtha in Ayodhyā on the Sarayū (Sahasradhārā context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Holding a large utsava with Śeṣa-pūjā as the principal component.