Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

एतत्त्रेतायुगे प्रोक्तं पादोनं मन्त्रसाधनम् । युग्मार्धं द्वापरे कार्यं चतुर्थांशं कलौ युगे

Transliteration

etattretāyuge proktaṃ pādonaṃ mantrasādhanam | yugmārdhaṃ dvāpare kāryaṃ caturthāṃśaṃ kalau yuge

Translation

Im Tretā-Yuga wird diese Mantra-Disziplin um ein Viertel vermindert gelehrt; im Dvāpara soll sie zur Hälfte ausgeführt werden; und im Kali-Yuga nur zu einem Viertel.

Word by Word

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. 1/2), एकवचन (sg)

• tretā-yuge: in the Tretā age
• tretā-yuge: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tretā (प्रातिपदिक) + yuga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n), सप्तमी (Loc. 7), एकवचन (sg); तत्पुरुष: ‘in the Tretā-yuga’

• proktam: taught/declared
• proktam: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेष)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+vac (धातु) → prokta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. 1/2), एकवचन (sg)

• pāda-ūnam: a quarter less
• pāda-ūnam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक) + ūna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. 1/2), एकवचन (sg); तत्पुरुष: ‘a quarter less’ (i.e., reduced by one pāda)

• mantra-sādhanam: mantra-practice
• mantra-sādhanam: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक) + sādhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. 1/2), एकवचन (sg)

• yugma-ardham: half
• yugma-ardham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yugma (प्रातिपदिक) + ardha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. 1/2), एकवचन (sg); तत्पुरुष: ‘half (of the pair)’ i.e., half

• dvāpare: in the Dvāpara (age)
• dvāpare: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvāpara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (m/n), सप्तमी (Loc. 7), एकवचन (sg) (yuga-name)

• kāryam: should be done
• kāryam: Kriya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kārya (कृदन्त)
• Form: भाव्य/विधेय कृदन्त (gerundive/future passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. 1/2), एकवचन (sg); ‘to be done’

• caturtha-aṃśam: a fourth part
• caturtha-aṃśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caturtha (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. 1/2), एकवचन (sg); तत्पुरुष: ‘a fourth part’

• kalau: in Kali (age)
• kalau: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kali (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m), सप्तमी (Loc. 7), एकवचन (sg) (yuga-name)

• yuge: in the age
• yuge: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n), सप्तमी (Loc. 7), एकवचन (sg)

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic narration within the tīrtha episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic depiction of four yugas as diminishing pillars or steps, with a sādhaka’s practice measure reducing accordingly—yet the sacred flame remains steady, signifying preserved essence.

Characters & Entities

• Tretāyuga
• Dvāparayuga
• Kaliyuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic tradition calibrates practice to the capacities of each age, emphasizing realism without abandoning discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The yuga-teaching is embedded in a tīrtha narrative of Nāgarakhaṇḍa; the exact pīṭha is specified nearby (later verses mention Cित्रेश्वर-pīṭha).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A yuga-based measure for mantra-sādhana: 3/4 in Tretā, 1/2 in Dvāpara, 1/4 in Kali.