Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 187

Devanagari script

चक्रुरावरणार्थं हि केतनानि ततस्ततः । ततः प्रदुर्बभौ तासां सिद्धिस्त्रेतायुगे पुनः

Transliteration

cakrurāvaraṇārthaṃ hi ketanāni tatastataḥ | tataḥ pradurbabhau tāsāṃ siddhistretāyuge punaḥ

Translation

To ward themselves, they built dwellings here and there. Then, in the Tretā Yuga, their new means of livelihood and accomplishment manifested again.

Word by Word

• cakruḥ: they made/did
• cakruḥ: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural); परस्मैपदम्

• āvaraṇa-artham: for the purpose of covering/protection
• āvaraṇa-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āvaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); प्रयोजनार्थे (purpose)

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha/Emphasis (Nipāta)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• ketanāni: banners/standards (signs)
• ketanāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ketana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)

• tataḥ: then/from there
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Temporal/स्थान-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• tataḥ: here and there
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Distributive/स्थान-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति-बल (repetition for distributive sense)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Temporal/स्थान-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• prādur-babhau: manifested/appeared
• prādur-babhau: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prādur (अव्यय) + bhū (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); आत्मनेपदम्; उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद-प्रयोगः: प्रादुर् (manifestly)

• tāsām: of them
• tāsām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (plural)

• siddhiḥ: success/accomplishment
• siddhiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• tretā-yuge: in the Tretā age
• tretā-yuge: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tretā (प्रातिपदिक) + yuga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Early communities erecting simple dwellings across a varied landscape; a sense of time turning (Tretā-yuga) as livelihoods re-manifest.

Characters & Entities

• Tretāyuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

As conditions harden, humans organize protection and society; dharma evolves into structured living while still aiming at righteous prosperity (siddhi).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is explicitly stated.