Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

लवद्वयं यवः प्रोक्तः काष्ठा ते दश पंच च । त्रिंशत्काष्ठाः कलामाहुः क्षणस्त्रिंशत्कलो मतः

Transliteration

lavadvayaṃ yavaḥ proktaḥ kāṣṭhā te daśa paṃca ca | triṃśatkāṣṭhāḥ kalāmāhuḥ kṣaṇastriṃśatkalo mataḥ

Translation

দুই লবকে ‘যব’ বলা হয়; আর এমন পনেরো যব মিলে এক ‘কাষ্ঠা’। ত্রিশ কাষ্ঠাকে ‘কলা’ বলে, এবং ত্রিশ কলাই ‘ক্ষণ’ বলে মানা হয়।

Word by Word

• लवद्वयम्: two lavas
• लवद्वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लव (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (लवयोः द्वयम् = two lavas)

• यवः: a yava (unit)
• यवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रोक्तः: is declared
• प्रोक्तः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; ‘is said’

• काष्ठाः: kāṣṭhās (units)
• काष्ठाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ते: those
• ते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• दश: ten
• दश: Sankhya (Numerical qualifier/संख्या)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; (indeclinable-like numeral)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Sankhya (Numerical qualifier/संख्या)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; (indeclinable-like numeral)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• त्रिंशत्: thirty
• त्रिंशत्: Sankhya (Numerical qualifier/संख्या)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिंशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्दः (numeral), अत्र पूर्वपदत्वेन (as first member)

• काष्ठाः: kāṣṭhās
• काष्ठाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कलाम्: a kalā
• कलाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आहुः: they say/call
• आहुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (धातु; आह)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• क्षणः: a kṣaṇa (moment)
• क्षणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्रिंशत्कलः: (consisting of) thirty kalās
• त्रिंशत्कलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिंशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + कल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (त्रिंशतां कलानां समाहारः/युक्तः = consisting of thirty kalās)

• मतः: is considered
• मतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; ‘is considered’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprendra (best of brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A diagrammatic ‘ladder’ of time units—lava, yava, kāṣṭhā, kalā, kṣaṇa—appears as the sage gestures; disciples visualize the hierarchy like beads on a string.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scripture systematizes time so that dharmic life—worship, vows, and festivals—can be performed with precision and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named; the verse provides the technical backbone for calculating auspicious times connected with tirtha worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A time-measure conversion chain (lava → yava → kāṣṭhā → kalā → kṣaṇa) used for determining ritual durations.