Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

एतत्त्रेतायुगे प्रोक्तं मया ते सुरसत्तम । आकर्णय प्रयत्नेन द्वापरस्याधुना स्थितिम्

Transliteration

etattretāyuge proktaṃ mayā te surasattama | ākarṇaya prayatnena dvāparasyādhunā sthitim

Translation

Dies, o Bester der Götter, habe ich dir über das Zeitalter der Tretā-Yuga dargelegt. Nun höre mit Aufmerksamkeit und Eifer den Zustand der Dvāpara-Yuga.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun

• त्रेतायुगे: in the Tretā age
• त्रेतायुगे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रेता + युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular; ‘in the Tretā-yuga’

• प्रोक्तम्: was said / declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + उक्त (कृदन्त; वच् धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; predicate to ‘एतत्’

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; here चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान) ‘to you’

• सुरसत्तम: O best of the gods
• सुरसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन; Vocative singular

• आकर्णय: listen
• आकर्णय: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + कर्णय् (धातु; denominative from कर्ण)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; Imperative 2nd singular (listen)

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort / attentively
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular (with effort)

• द्वापरस्य: of the Dvāpara age
• द्वापरस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular (of Dvāpara)

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Sambandha (Time adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• स्थितिम्: the condition/state
• स्थितिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a deva addressed as 'surasattama'

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic teaching tableau: the narrator points to a symbolic wheel of time (kāla-cakra) showing Tretā and Dvāpara segments; the listener leans forward in attentive posture.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Tretāyuga
• Dvāparayuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It transitions the teaching from one cosmic age to another, emphasizing attentive listening to understand dharma’s changing condition across yugas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a narrative bridge within the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an instruction to listen carefully rather than a ritual directive.