Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

ततः कालक्रमेणासौ व्यासरूपधरो हरिः । अष्टादशपुराणानि संक्षेप्स्यति युगेयुगे

Transliteration

tataḥ kālakrameṇāsau vyāsarūpadharo hariḥ | aṣṭādaśapurāṇāni saṃkṣepsyati yugeyuge

Translation

Then, in the course of time, that Hari—assuming the form of Vyāsa—will abridge the eighteen Purāṇas in every age, in every yuga.

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (ततः, अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• कालक्रमेण: by the course of time
• कालक्रमेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (काल, प्रातिपदिक) + krama (क्रम, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• असौ: he (that one)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asau (असौ, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्यासरूपधरः: bearing the form of Vyāsa
• व्यासरूपधरः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyāsa (व्यास, प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (रूप, प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (धर, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective)

• हरिः: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (हरि, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अष्टादशपुराणानि: the eighteen Purāṇas
• अष्टादशपुराणानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭādaśa (अष्टादश, संख्याप्रातिपदिक) + purāṇa (पुराण, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• संक्षेप्स्यति: will abridge; will summarize
• संक्षेप्स्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√kṣip (सम्+क्षिप्, धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• युगे: in an age
• युगे: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuga (युग, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• युगे: in every age
• युगे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuga (युग, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); पुनरुक्ति (reduplication)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (contextual attribution)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hari appears as sage Vyāsa—matted hair, manuscript in hand—condensing vast Purāṇic oceans into concise texts, with yuga-wheels turning behind him to show repetition across ages.

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Vyāsa
• Eighteen Purāṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine compassion adapts teaching to time: scripture is organized and condensed so dharma remains accessible in each yuga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding discourse belongs to Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya, though the verse itself highlights Vyāsa’s Purāṇic mission.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a statement about compilation and abridgment of Purāṇas.