Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

तपः परं कृतयुगे त्रेतायां ज्ञानमुच्यते । द्वापरे तु परो यज्ञः कलौ केशवकीर्तनम्

Transliteration

tapaḥ paraṃ kṛtayuge tretāyāṃ jñānamucyate | dvāpare tu paro yajñaḥ kalau keśavakīrtanam

Translation

In the Kṛta Yuga, austerity (tapas) is said to be supreme; in the Tretā, knowledge (jñāna) is declared supreme. In the Dvāpara, sacrifice (yajña) is supreme; but in the Kali Yuga, the supreme practice is praising and chanting Keśava.

Word by Word

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• param: supreme
• param: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• kṛta-yuge: in the Kṛta age
• kṛta-yuge: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + yuga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• tretāyām: in Tretā
• tretāyām: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tretā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• jñānam: knowledge
• jñānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ucyate: is said; is called
• ucyate: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु) with ud- (उपसर्ग) → ucyate
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि (Passive)

• dvāpare: in Dvāpara
• dvāpare: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvāpara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• tu: but; indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषणार्थक (contrastive particle)

• paraḥ: supreme
• paraḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• yajñaḥ: sacrifice
• yajñaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kalau: in Kali
• kalau: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• keśava-kīrtanam: chanting/praising Keśava
• keśava-kīrtanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśava (प्रातिपदिक) + kīrtana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Unknown (doctrinal statement within Dvārakā Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (context); Keśava-kīrtana as Kali-yuga tīrtha-dharma

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A four-panel allegory of the yugas: ascetic in meditation (Kṛta), sage teaching jñāna (Tretā), priests performing yajña (Dvāpara), and a mixed crowd in Kali singing Keśava’s names with mṛdaṅga and karatālas—set against Dvārakā’s temple backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛta Yuga
• Tretā Yuga
• Dvāpara Yuga
• Kali Yuga
• Keśava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas emphasize yuga-appropriate dharma: in Kali Yuga, bhakti expressed as Keśava-kīrtana is the foremost means.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the verse teaches yuga-dharma within the Dvārakā Māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Keśava-kīrtana—devotional chanting/glorification—recommended as the supreme practice in Kali Yuga.