Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

कलिद्वापरयोर्मध्ये धर्मपुत्रं युधिष्ठिरम् । गतोऽसौ नारदो मर्त्ये राज्यं धर्मसुतस्य वै

Transliteration

kalidvāparayormadhye dharmaputraṃ yudhiṣṭhiram | gato'sau nārado martye rājyaṃ dharmasutasya vai

Translation

Zwischen den Zeitaltern Dvāpara und Kali begab sich jener Nārada in die Welt der Sterblichen, in das Reich Yudhiṣṭhiras, des Sohnes der Dharma, wahrlich.

Word by Word

• कलि: Kali (age)
• कलि: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-आधार (समासाङ्ग)

• द्वापर: Dvāpara (age)
• द्वापर: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-आधार (समासाङ्ग)

• योः: of the two
• योः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम (समासे: कलि-द्वापरयोः)

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• धर्मपुत्रम्: Dharma's son
• धर्मपुत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (धर्मस्य पुत्रः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• युधिष्ठिरम्: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अपपद-सम्बन्ध (धर्मपुत्रम्)

• गतः: went
• गतः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त (क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोगे (as predicate)

• असौ: that (person), he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अपपद-सम्बन्ध (असौ)

• मर्त्ये: in the mortal world
• मर्त्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• राज्यम्: kingdom, rule
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धर्मसुतस्य: of Dharma's son
• धर्मसुतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (धर्मस्य सुतः); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/assuring particle)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada arrives at the royal court of Yudhiṣṭhira at the cusp of Kali, with the atmosphere of an ending age—solemn court, banners, and a sense of impending change.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Dharma
• Kali Yuga
• Dvāpara Yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

At crucial turning points of time (yuga-sandhi), divine sages guide righteous rulers to preserve dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is explicitly named; the verse sets historical-cosmic context for the Dharmāraṇya narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative transition locating the episode in time and person.