Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

कल्पादौ द्वापरांते तु क्षत्रियाणां निवेशने । अवतारं महाबाहुवासुदेवः करिष्यति

Transliteration

kalpādau dvāparāṃte tu kṣatriyāṇāṃ niveśane | avatāraṃ mahābāhuvāsudevaḥ kariṣyati

Translation

Zu Beginn des Kalpa und wiederum am Ende des Dvāpara-Zeitalters wird Vāsudeva, der Mächtigarme, als Avatāra herabsteigen unter die Wohnstätten der Kṣatriya.

Word by Word

• कल्पादौ: at the beginning of the kalpa
• कल्पादौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे लोके (locative of time: "at the beginning of the kalpa")

• द्वापरान्ते: at the end of the Dvāpara (age)
• द्वापरान्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्वापरस्य अन्तः)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थे (but/indeed)

• क्षत्रियाणाम्: of the Kṣatriyas
• क्षत्रियाणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• निवेशने: in the settlement/abode
• निवेशने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवेशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• अवतारम्: an incarnation
• अवतारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• महाबाहुवासुदेवः: Vāsudeva, the mighty-armed
• महाबाहुवासुदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु (प्रातिपदिक) + वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महाबाहुः वासुदेवः)

• करिष्यति: will make/undertake
• करिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Future/लृट्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (narrating)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (implicit frame) connected to Kṛṣṇa’s end-of-Dvāpara events; prophecy concerns Vāsudeva

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A prophetic recitation describes Vāsudeva’s descent at yuga’s end; cosmic imagery of kalpa cycles overlays a scene of kṣatriya dwellings, suggesting the divine entering human history.

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva
• Dvāpara-yuga
• Kṣatriyas
• Kalpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine descent is framed within cosmic time; avatāra doctrine teaches that dharma is restored according to yuga and need.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it sets narrative context about Vāsudeva and time-cycles.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal/narrative statement about avatāra and yuga.