Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

आत्मीये जीविते ब्रह्म यावद्वर्षशतं स्थितः । केशवोऽपि स्वमानेन वर्षाणां जीविते शतम्

Transliteration

ātmīye jīvite brahma yāvadvarṣaśataṃ sthitaḥ | keśavo'pi svamānena varṣāṇāṃ jīvite śatam

Translation

ในอายุขัยของตนเอง พระพรหมาดำรงอยู่หนึ่งร้อยปี; และพระเกศวะก็เช่นกัน ตามมาตราของพระองค์ มีอายุขัยหนึ่งร้อยปี

Word by Word

• आत्मीये: in one's own
• आत्मीये: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (locative singular neuter)

• जीविते: in (the span of) life
• जीविते: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th), एकवचनम्

• ब्रह्म: O Brahmā
• ब्रह्म: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-एकवचनम् (Vocative singular)

• यावत्: as long as / up to
• यावत्: विशेषण (Extent modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्ययम्; परिमाणार्थक-सम्बन्धसूचक (indeclinable of extent: 'as much as/for as long as')

• वर्षशतम्: a hundred years
• वर्षशतम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्; द्विगु-समासः (a hundred years)

• स्थितः: standing / remaining
• स्थितः: कर्तृसम्बन्धी विशेषण (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (past participle); पुल्लिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st), एकवचनम्

• केशवः: Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• केशवः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st), एकवचनम्

• अपि: also / even
• अपि: सम्बन्धसूचक (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक (also/even)

• स्वमानेन: by his own measure
• स्वमानेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + मान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (by his own measure)

• वर्षाणाम्: of years
• वर्षाणाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचनम्

• जीविते: in (his) lifetime
• जीविते: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th), एकवचनम्

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Narrative voice (Sūta as continuing expositor within the Māhātmya context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two scales or calendars: Brahmā’s hundred-year ledger and Keśava’s hundred-year ledger, each with different unit sizes, shown to a listening assembly to teach relativity of time.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Keśava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even divine lifespans are measured and structured, directing the seeker toward the timeless refuge of dharma and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya section, though it speaks primarily of cosmological measures.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive cosmology.