Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

आयामविस्तरेणाऽपि प्राप्ते कृतयुगे नृप । न संख्या जायते राजञ्छुक्लवर्णस्य मानवैः

Transliteration

āyāmavistareṇā'pi prāpte kṛtayuge nṛpa | na saṃkhyā jāyate rājañchuklavarṇasya mānavaiḥ

Translation

Im Kṛta-Yuga, o König, selbst wenn man Länge und Breite misst, vermögen die Menschen keine Zahl für jene weißfarbige Erscheinung festzusetzen.

Word by Word

• आयाम-विस्तरेण: by (its) length and breadth
• आयाम-विस्तरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयाम (प्रातिपदिक) + विस्तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (इतरेतर) ‘आयामश्च विस्तारश्च’ → ‘आयामविस्तर’; तृतीया-एकवचन ‘-ेण’

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• प्राप्ते: when (it) has come/arrived
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; लोकेटिव-अब्सोल्यूट (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध) ‘when (it is) reached/arrived’

• कृत-युगे: in the Kṛta-yuga
• कृत-युगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक) + युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ‘कृतं युगम्’ (नामधारय/कर्मधारय-सन्निकर्षे)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• संख्या: count/number
• संख्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जायते: arises/is possible
• जायते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• शुक्ल-वर्णस्य: of the white color
• शुक्ल-वर्णस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय ‘शुक्लः वर्णः’

• मानवैः: by humans
• मानवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

Pulastya (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmapada (Brahmapada-udbhava kṣetra)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa/rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast, radiant white divine footprint/mark spanning immeasurable length and breadth in Kṛta-yuga, sages and a king gazing in awe at the mountain pass.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛtayuga
• Brahmapada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred sign is portrayed as immeasurable in the purest age, suggesting the vastness of dharma and divine presence in Kṛta Yuga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Brahmapada at Arbuda, described through its yuga-wise wondrous characteristics.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it provides a yuga-based description (color/measure) to magnify the site’s sanctity.