Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

यथर्तावृतुलिंगानि नामरूपाणि पर्यये । दृश्यन्ते तानि तान्येव तथा वत्स युगादिकम्

Transliteration

yathartāvṛtuliṃgāni nāmarūpāṇi paryaye | dṛśyante tāni tānyeva tathā vatsa yugādikam

Translation

Wie im Wechsel der Jahreszeiten ihre Kennzeichen und dieselben Namen und Gestalten im Ablauf immer wieder erscheinen, so kehren auch, liebes Kind, die Yugas und die verwandten Zyklen wieder.

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारबोधक-अव्यय (indeclinable: as/just as)

• ऋतौ: in a season
• ऋतौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc loc sg)

• ऋतुलिङ्गानि: seasonal signs
• ऋतुलिङ्गानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋतु (प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neuter nom/acc pl); 'ऋतोः लिङ्गानि' (signs of the season)

• नामरूपाणि: names and forms
• नामरूपाणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (names and forms)

• पर्यये: in sequence/turn
• पर्यये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc loc sg: in succession/alternation)

• दृश्यन्ते: are seen
• दृश्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद/कर्मणि (present, 3rd pl; are seen/appear)

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neuter nom/acc pl)

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neuter nom/acc pl)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle: indeed/only)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Comparative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तुल्यताबोधक-अव्यय (indeclinable: likewise/so)

• वत्स: O child
• वत्स: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc voc sg)

• युगादिकम्: the yuga etc. (cycle)
• युगादिकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg); 'युगम् आदिः यस्य' / 'युगादि' = yuga etc.

Speaker

Śiva (contextual; confirmed explicitly at 8.39)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (‘vatsa’ address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split-panel cycle: the six seasons shown as repeating motifs (flowers, rains, harvest), mirrored by a larger wheel labeled with yugas returning in sequence.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛtu
• Nāmarūpa
• Yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recurring natural cycles illustrate recurring cosmic cycles; wisdom lies in aligning one’s dharma with the rhythm of time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this is a teaching by analogy rather than a tīrtha-māhātmya passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.