Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 175

Devanagari script

ध्यानं परं कृकयुगे त्रेतायां यज्ञ उच्यते । वृत्तं च द्वापरे सत्यं दानमेव कलौ युगे

Transliteration

dhyānaṃ paraṃ kṛkayuge tretāyāṃ yajña ucyate | vṛttaṃ ca dvāpare satyaṃ dānameva kalau yuge

Translation

Im Kṛta-Yuga wird die höchste Meditation (dhyāna) als erhabenster Weg verkündet. Im Tretā-Yuga lehrt man das Opfer (yajña). Im Dvāpara-Yuga ist wahrhaftiges Verhalten das Kennzeichen. Im Kali-Yuga aber ist allein die Gabe (dāna) die vornehmste Übung.

Word by Word

• ध्यानम्: meditation
• ध्यानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Singular)

• परम्: supreme; highest
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Singular)

• कृतयुगे: in the Kṛta-yuga
• कृतयुगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतयुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्रेतायाम्: in the Tretā (yuga)
• त्रेतायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रेता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• यज्ञः: sacrifice
• यज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उच्यते: is said; is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• वृत्तम्: conduct; practice
• वृत्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunctive/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Conjunction)

• द्वापरे: in the Dvāpara (yuga)
• द्वापरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सत्यम्: true; truthful
• सत्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Singular)

• दानम्: giving; charity
• दानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: alone; indeed
• एव: Nipata (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Particle) — अवधारणार्थक

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

• युगे: in the yuga
• युगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Mahākāla

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Karaṃdhama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fourfold tableau of practices: sage in meditation (Kṛta), fire-altar sacrifice (Tretā), people upholding truth and righteous conduct (Dvāpara), and a devotee giving alms/food (Kali) before a shrine; Mahākāla narrates the principle.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛtayuga
• Tretāyuga
• Dvāparayuga
• Kaliyuga
• Dhyāna
• Yajña
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The most effective dharma changes by yuga; in Kali, charity becomes the most accessible and powerful means of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred site is mentioned; it is a general yuga-dharma teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes dāna (charity) as the principal practice for Kali Yuga.