Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

त्रेताकृतकलीनां तु द्वापरस्यादयः क्रमात् । स्नाने दाने जपे होमे विशेषात्पितृतर्पणे

Transliteration

tretākṛtakalīnāṃ tu dvāparasyādayaḥ kramāt | snāne dāne jape home viśeṣātpitṛtarpaṇe

Translation

Für die Yugas Tretā, Kṛta und Kali — und der rechten Reihenfolge nach auch für Dvāpara — sind diese Anfangszeiten besonders wirksam für das heilige Bad, für Spenden (dāna), für Mantra-Japa, für Feueropfer (homa) und vor allem für Pitṛ-tarpaṇa, die Wasserlibation für die Ahnen.

Word by Word

• tretā: of Tretā (age)
• tretā: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tretā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; युगनाम

• kṛta: of Kṛta (age)
• kṛta: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; युगनाम

• kalīnām: of Kali (age)
• kalīnām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; युगनाम

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• dvāparasya: of Dvāpara (age)
• dvāparasya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvāpara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; युगनाम

• ādayaḥ: the beginnings/starting points
• ādayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘ādi’ = beginning etc.

• kramāt: in order; sequentially
• kramāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (in the sense of ‘in order/ क्रमशः’)

• snāne: in bathing
• snāne: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• dāne: in giving (charity)
• dāne: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• jape: in recitation (japa)
• jape: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: japa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• home: in oblation (homa)
• home: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: homa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• viśeṣāt: especially
• viśeṣāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (especially)

• pitṛtarpaṇe: in the offering to ancestors (pitṛ-tarpaṇa)
• pitṛtarpaṇe: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ + tarpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (pitṝṇāṃ tarpaṇam)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yugādi (yuga-beginning kāla)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājendra (a king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A composite ritual tableau on a yugādi day: devotees bathing at a tīrtha, one giving alms, another chanting japa with mālā, a small homa fire burning, and a central figure performing pitṛ-tarpaṇa—Pitṛs visibly satisfied.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛta-yuga
• Tretā-yuga
• Dvāpara-yuga
• Kali-yuga
• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic time and personal dharma interlock; yuga-thresholds intensify the efficacy of purification and ancestral offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse teaches a time-based mahātmya applicable across pilgrimage waters and sacred places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna, dāna, japa, homa, and especially Pitṛ-tarpaṇa performed on yugādi beginnings.