Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

चतुष्पदः कृते धर्मः शुक्लवर्णो जनार्दनः । न दुर्भिक्षं न च व्याधिस्तस्मिन्भवति वै क्वचित्

Transliteration

catuṣpadaḥ kṛte dharmaḥ śuklavarṇo janārdanaḥ | na durbhikṣaṃ na ca vyādhistasminbhavati vai kvacit

Translation

Im Kṛta-Zeitalter steht das Dharma fest auf vier Füßen, und Janārdana erstrahlt in leuchtendem Weiß. In jener Zeit gibt es nirgends Hungersnot und auch keinerlei Krankheit.

Word by Word

• चतुष्पदः: four-footed (having four parts/feet)
• चतुष्पदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुष् + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative singular; adjective)

• कृते: in the Kṛta (age)
• कृते: Adhikarana (Location/Time अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; कालवाचक (Neuter, Locative singular; denoting the Kṛta age)

• धर्मः: dharma, righteousness
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular)

• शुक्लवर्णः: white-colored
• शुक्लवर्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative singular; adjective)

• जनार्दनः: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्दनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेष्य/नाम (Masculine, Nominative singular; proper name)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• दुर्भिक्षम्: famine
• दुर्भिक्षम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्भिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अस्ति-निषेधवाक्ये (Neuter, Nom/Acc singular; in negation of existence)

• न: nor/not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• व्याधिः: disease
• व्याधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अस्ति-निषेधवाक्ये (Masculine, Nominative singular; in negation of existence)

• तस्मिन्: in that (age)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/Time अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (Pronoun; Locative singular)

• भवति: occurs/exists
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Present indicative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipada)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• क्वचित्: anywhere/ever
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Location/Time अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: at any place/time)

Speaker

Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous vision of Kṛta-yuga: dharma as a four-legged bull standing firm; Janārdana/Vishnu in radiant white; landscapes free of famine and disease, serene beings in harmony.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• Kṛta-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is whole and unwavering, society becomes harmonious—free from the collective fruits of adharma such as widespread disease and scarcity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse presents a universal portrait of Kṛta-yuga as the benchmark for purity and order.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is given; it describes the natural results of complete dharma.