Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

युगानां च सहस्रेण स च कल्पः श्रृणुष्व तान् । भवोद्भवस्तपभव्य ऋतुर्वह्निर्वराहकः

Transliteration

yugānāṃ ca sahasreṇa sa ca kalpaḥ śrṛṇuṣva tān | bhavodbhavastapabhavya ṛturvahnirvarāhakaḥ

Translation

Mille séries de yuga constituent un kalpa—écoute leurs noms : Bhavodbhava, Tapobhavya, Ṛtu, Vahni et Varāhaka.

Word by Word

• युगानाम्: of yugas
• युगानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th); बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• सहस्रेण: by a thousand
• सहस्रेण: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन (Singular)

• स: that (it)
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• कल्पः: a kalpa
• कल्पः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन (Singular)

• शृणुष्व: hear (listen)
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person); एकवचन (Singular); आत्मनेपद

• तान्: those (them)
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); बहुवचन (Plural)

• भवोद्भवः: Bhavodbhava (name)
• भवोद्भवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भवस्य उद्भवः)

• तपभव्यः: Tapabhavya (name)
• तपभव्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् + भव्यम्/भव्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष (तपसः भव्यः/तपः-भव्यः)

• ऋतुः: Ritu (name/season)
• ऋतुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन (Singular)

• वह्निः: Vahni (fire; name)
• वह्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन (Singular)

• वराहकः: Varāhaka (name)
• वराहकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वराहक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative convention)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A sage/assembly of sages (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-teacher recites the names of kalpas while a cosmic diagram of yugas and a lotus-born Brahmā’s day unfolds behind; Śiva’s presence is implied as the transcendent witness of time.

Characters & Entities

• Kalpa
• Bhavodbhava
• Tapobhavya
• Ṛtu
• Vahni
• Varāhaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic time is vast yet intelligible; naming kalpas affirms an ordered universe upheld by divine law.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse lists kalpa names as part of cosmological cataloging.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a classification teaching used for Purāṇic chronology.