Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

त्रेतायां पंच दिवसैर्द्वापरे त्रिदिनेन तु । एकचित्तेन यो विप्राः पिंडं दद्यात्कलौ युगे

Transliteration

tretāyāṃ paṃca divasairdvāpare tridinena tu | ekacittena yo viprāḥ piṃḍaṃ dadyātkalau yuge

Translation

في عصرِ تريتا يكونُ ذلك في خمسةِ أيام، وفي دْفابَرا في ثلاثةِ أيام؛ أمّا في عصرِ كالي، يا معشرَ البراهمة، فمن قدّم «البِنْدَا» بقلبٍ واحدٍ مُركَّز نالَ الثمرةَ سريعًا.

Word by Word

• tretāyām: in the Tretā (age)
• tretāyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tretā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचन (Locative singular)

• pañca: five
• pañca: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्द (numeral), अव्ययवत्; विशेषण (qualifying divasaiḥ)

• divasaiḥ: by (means of) days / within days
• divasaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: divasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-बहुवचन (Instrumental plural)

• dvāpare: in the Dvāpara (age)
• dvāpare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvāpara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचन (Locative singular)

• tridinena: by a three-day (period)
• tridinena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tridina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-एकवचन (Instrumental singular); द्विगु (‘three-day period’)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारः: अवधारण/विरोध (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• eka-cittena: with single-mindedness
• eka-cittena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + citta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-एकवचन (Instrumental singular); कर्मधारय (‘with single-minded mind’), विशेषण (qualifying agent’s manner)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative singular); सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम

• viprāḥ: O brāhmaṇas
• viprāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-बहुवचन (Vocative plural)

• piṇḍam: rice-ball (piṇḍa)
• piṇḍam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• dadyāt: should give
• dadyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• kalau: in the Kali (age)
• kalau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचन (Locative singular)

• yuge: in the age/era
• yuge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचन (Locative singular)

Speaker

Vyāsa (continued)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmavāpī / Dharmāraṇya context

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprāḥ (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A triptych-like visualization of yugas: Tretā with extended multi-day śrāddha camp, Dvāpara with shorter rite, and Kali with a single focused offering—one devotee with intense concentration placing a piṇḍa, radiance indicating swift fruit.

Characters & Entities

• Tretāyuga
• Dvāparayuga
• Kaliyuga
• Brāhmaṇas
• Piṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, inner sincerity and focused intention can compensate for shortened or simplified ritual duration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding context remains Dharmāraṇya/Dharmavāpī, where such rites are described as fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Piṇḍadāna performed with ekacitta (single-pointed mind), contrasted with longer observances in earlier yugas.