Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

द्वापरे कपिलं तच्च लघुमात्रं प्रदृश्यते । कलौ कृष्णं सुसूक्ष्मं च रम्ये पर्वतरोधसि

Transliteration

dvāpare kapilaṃ tacca laghumātraṃ pradṛśyate | kalau kṛṣṇaṃ susūkṣmaṃ ca ramye parvatarodhasi

Translation

Im Dvāpara-Yuga erscheint es kapila (falb) und nur von geringer Größe; im Kali-Yuga aber wird es schwarz und überaus fein—zu sehen in jenem lieblichen Bergpass.

Word by Word

• द्वापरे: in the Dvāpara (yuga)
• द्वापरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (युगनाम), सप्तमी, एकवचन

• कपिलं: tawny/brownish
• कपिलं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘(तत्/वर्णम्)’ इति विशेषणम्

• तत्: that (it)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘(वर्णं/रूपम्)’ इत्यर्थे

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• लघु-मात्रं: of small measure
• लघु-मात्रं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लघु (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ‘लघ्वी मात्रा यस्य’/‘लघु-परिमाणम्’ (परिमाणवाचक)

• प्रदृश्यते: is seen/appears
• प्रदृश्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/आत्मनेपद ‘is seen/appears’

• कलौ: in Kali (yuga)
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (युगनाम), सप्तमी, एकवचन

• कृष्णं: black
• कृष्णं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘(तत्/वर्णम्)’ इति विशेषणम्

• सु-सूक्ष्मं: very subtle
• सु-सूक्ष्मं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय/उपसर्ग) + सूक्ष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय ‘सु सूक्ष्मम्’ = very subtle

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात

• रम्ये: in a delightful (place)
• रम्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘पर्वतरोधसि’ इति विशेषणम्

• पर्वत-रोधसि: on the mountain slope/side
• पर्वत-रोधसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक) + रोधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी) ‘पर्वतस्य रोधः/रोधस्’ = mountain-slope/bank/side

Speaker

Pulastya (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmapada (at parvata-rodhas)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence tableau: Dvāpara shows a small tawny mark; Kali shows a tiny, nearly hidden black mark in a beautiful mountain pass, with a pilgrim-sage searching attentively.

Characters & Entities

• Dvāparayuga
• Kaliyuga
• Brahmapada
• Arbuda (mountain region)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In later yugas, divine signs may appear subtler, urging seekers to approach tirthas with greater faith and attentiveness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Brahmapada located in the Arbuda mountain terrain, described as visible in a beautiful mountain passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the emphasis is on recognizing the sacred mark’s yuga-wise form and seeking its darśana at the place.