Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

द्वापरे तच्च मासेन तद्दिनेन कलौ युगे । तत्फलं कोटिगुणितं निमिषे निमिषे नृणाम्

Transliteration

dvāpare tacca māsena taddinena kalau yuge | tatphalaṃ koṭiguṇitaṃ nimiṣe nimiṣe nṛṇām

Translation

Im Dvāpara-Yuga wird dasselbe (Verdienst) in einem Monat erlangt, im Kali-Yuga an einem einzigen Tag. Wahrlich, seine Frucht vervielfacht sich für die Menschen um ein koṭi, Augenblick um Augenblick.

Word by Word

• द्वापरे: in Dvāpara (yuga)
• द्वापरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (द्वापरयुगे)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (पुण्यम्/फलम्—पूर्वोक्त)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• मासेन: by a month
• मासेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (पुण्यम्/फलम्—पूर्वोक्त)

• दिनेन: by a day
• दिनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• कलौ: in Kali (yuga)
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• युगे: age (yuga)
• युगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (फलम्)

• फलम्: result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• कोटिगुणितम्: multiplied a crore-fold
• कोटिगुणितम्: Karta (Subject complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + गुणित (कृदन्त; √गुण्/√गण्? (धातु) ‘to multiply’—प्रयोगे √गुण्/गुणयति)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कृदन्त-भूतकृत् (क्त), विशेषण (फलम्); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कोट्या गुणितम् = multiplied by a crore)

• निमिषे: in a moment
• निमिषे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• निमिषे: moment by moment
• निमिषे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (repetition)

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic depiction of time accelerating: Dvāpara as a month, Kali as a day, then countless moments sparkling like beads—each bead representing multiplied merit—set near a sacred shore or temple to anchor the teaching in pilgrimage space.

Characters & Entities

• Dvāpara Yuga
• Kali Yuga
• Puṇya-phala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in Kali Yuga, sacred acts can be extraordinarily fruitful—especially when aligned with tīrtha-māhātmya and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching appears within the Rāmanātha/Rāmeśvara vaibhava context of Setukhaṇḍa, implying heightened efficacy at the Setu-Rāmeśvara sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse emphasizes accelerated attainment of equivalent merit in later yugas.