Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

गृहीत्वा नियमं तोयबिंदुं वर्षशतेऽग्निवत् । ततो वर्षशते याते जपतस्तस्य भारत

Transliteration

gṛhītvā niyamaṃ toyabiṃduṃ varṣaśate'gnivat | tato varṣaśate yāte japatastasya bhārata

Translation

เขาถือพรตเคร่งครัดยิ่งนัก—รับเพียงหยดน้ำเดียว—และดำรงอยู่ดุจเปลวไฟตลอดร้อยปี ครั้นร้อยปีล่วงไปในขณะที่ยังภาวนาจปะอยู่ โอ ภารตะ…

Word by Word

• गृहीत्वा: having undertaken/taken
• गृहीत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having taken/undertaken)

• नियमम्: a vow/observance
• नियमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• तोयबिन्दुम्: a drop of water
• तोयबिन्दुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय+बिन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: तोयस्य बिन्दुः); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• वर्षशते: in (a period of) a hundred years
• वर्षशते: Adhikarana (Time-locative/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष+शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: वर्षाणां शतम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• अग्निवत्: like fire
• अग्निवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (similative: like fire)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequencer)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तरवाचक (then/thereafter)

• वर्षशते: when the hundred years
• वर्षशते: Adhikarana (Time-locative/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष+शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• याते: having passed
• याते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु) → यात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन; (वर्षशते) याते = when (it) had passed

• जपतः: of him who was reciting
• जपतः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु) → जपत् (शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन); एकवचन

Speaker

Narrative voice addressing 'Bhārata' (Maheshvara Khanda context: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa relating events)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ascetic remains unmoving for a hundred years, sustained by a mere drop of water, surrounded by a subtle aura of heat like a steady flame; seasons pass around him—rain, sun, and wind—while his japa continues.

Characters & Entities

• Bhārata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Long, disciplined austerity (niyama) combined with japa is presented as a powerful path to spiritual fruition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha context continues from the surrounding narrative, but this verse itself focuses on the vow and duration rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A niyama of consuming only a drop of water (toyabindu) while maintaining japa for an extended period.