Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

चतुर्युगैकसप्तत्या मन्वंतरमुदाहृतम् । ऐन्द्रमेतद्भवेदायुः समासात्तव कीर्तितम्

Transliteration

caturyugaikasaptatyā manvaṃtaramudāhṛtam | aindrametadbhavedāyuḥ samāsāttava kīrtitam

Translation

يُعلَن أن «المانفنترا» يتألف من إحدى وسبعين مجموعة من اليوغات الأربع. وهذا، على سبيل الإيجاز، يُعلَّم أنه عمرُ إندرا؛ وهكذا قد بيَّنتُه لك مختصرًا.

Word by Word

• caturyuga-eka-saptatyā: by seventy-one caturyugas
• caturyuga-eka-saptatyā: Karaṇa (Instrument/Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caturyuga (प्रातिपदिक) + eka (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + saptati (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाससमूहः (निर्देशार्थक-तत्पुरुष; ‘चतुर्युगानाम् एकसप्ततिः’ = 71 caturyugas); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• manvantaram: a manvantara
• manvantaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manvantara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• udāhṛtam: is declared/has been stated
• udāhṛtam: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-ā-√hṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त/PPP), क्त-प्रत्यय; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• aindram: belonging to Indra; Indra’s
• aindram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aindra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• bhavet: would be/becomes
• bhavet: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• āyuḥ: lifespan
• āyuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• samāsāt: in brief; from summary
• samāsāt: Apādāna (Source/Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• tava: to you/your
• tava: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• kīrtitam: has been narrated/mentioned
• kīrtitam: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kīrt (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त/PPP), क्त-प्रत्यय; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya narrative context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Interlocutor seeking Prabhāsa’s greatness (sage/audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A time-wheel with 71 spokes labeled ‘caturyuga’, above it a throne of Indra that fades into mist, while a steady Śiva-liṅga/temple at Prabhāsa remains unmoved by the cycles.

Characters & Entities

• Manvantara
• Indra
• Caturyuga (four Yugas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames cosmic time as ordered and dharma-governed, encouraging humility: even Indra’s authority is time-bound within Brahmā’s creation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader discourse belongs to Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya (the glory of Prabhāsa), though this verse specifically explains cosmological time measures.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a doctrinal definition of Manvantara and Indra’s tenure.