Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मणो वर्षमात्रेण दिनं वैष्णवमुच्यते

Transliteration

brahmaṇo varṣamātreṇa dinaṃ vaiṣṇavamucyate

Translation

برہما کے ایک سال کے پیمانے سے جس دن کو ناپا جائے، وہی ‘وَیشنوَ دن’ کہلاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — 'of Brahmā/Brahman'

• वर्षमात्रेण: by (the measure of) a year only
• वर्षमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वर्षस्य मात्रम्)

• दिनम्: a day
• दिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• वैष्णवम्: Vaiṣṇava
• वैष्णवम्: Karma (Object-complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दिनम् इति)

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic cosmic tableau: Brahmā seated on lotus with a time-wheel (kāla-cakra); a smaller ‘Vaiṣṇava day’ glyph emanates as a measured unit, with Viṣṇu’s symbols (śaṅkha-cakra) marking the scale.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It teaches layered sacred time: divine ‘days’ are vast, urging devotion that transcends ordinary human measure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; it is a doctrinal definition embedded in the tīrtha-oriented chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it defines a cosmological unit (‘Vaiṣṇava day’).