Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 175

Devanagari script

ध्यानं परं कृकयुगे त्रेतायां यज्ञ उच्यते । वृत्तं च द्वापरे सत्यं दानमेव कलौ युगे

Transliteration

dhyānaṃ paraṃ kṛkayuge tretāyāṃ yajña ucyate | vṛttaṃ ca dvāpare satyaṃ dānameva kalau yuge

Translation

En el Kṛta Yuga se proclama la meditación suprema como el camino más alto. En el Tretā se enseña el sacrificio (yajña). En el Dvāpara, la conducta veraz es el distintivo. Pero en el Kali Yuga, sólo la caridad (dāna) es la práctica principal.

Word by Word

• ध्यानम्: meditation
• ध्यानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Singular)

• परम्: supreme; highest
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Singular)

• कृतयुगे: in the Kṛta-yuga
• कृतयुगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतयुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्रेतायाम्: in the Tretā (yuga)
• त्रेतायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रेता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• यज्ञः: sacrifice
• यज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उच्यते: is said; is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• वृत्तम्: conduct; practice
• वृत्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunctive/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Conjunction)

• द्वापरे: in the Dvāpara (yuga)
• द्वापरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सत्यम्: true; truthful
• सत्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Singular)

• दानम्: giving; charity
• दानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: alone; indeed
• एव: Nipata (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Particle) — अवधारणार्थक

• कलौ: in Kali (yuga)
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

Speaker

Mahākāla

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Karaṃdhama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fourfold tableau of practices: sage in meditation (Kṛta), fire-altar sacrifice (Tretā), people upholding truth and righteous conduct (Dvāpara), and a devotee giving alms/food (Kali) before a shrine; Mahākāla narrates the principle.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛtayuga
• Tretāyuga
• Dvāparayuga
• Kaliyuga
• Dhyāna
• Yajña
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The most effective dharma changes by yuga; in Kali, charity becomes the most accessible and powerful means of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred site is mentioned; it is a general yuga-dharma teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes dāna (charity) as the principal practice for Kali Yuga.