Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

द्वापरं चाष्टभिर्लक्षैस्तृ तीयं परिकीर्तितम् । चतुःषष्टिसहस्रैस्तु यथावत्परिसंख्यया

Transliteration

dvāparaṃ cāṣṭabhirlakṣaistṛ tīyaṃ parikīrtitam | catuḥṣaṣṭisahasraistu yathāvatparisaṃkhyayā

Translation

Le Dvāpara est proclamé troisième âge, mesuré à huit lakṣa d’années; et, selon l’ordre juste, il doit être compté avec soixante-quatre mille en supplément dû.

Word by Word

• dvāparam: the Dvāpara-yuga
• dvāparam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvāpara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — (the Dvāpara age)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — conjunction ‘and’

• aṣṭabhiḥ: by eight
• aṣṭabhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭan (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — ‘अष्ट’ (by eight)

• lakṣaiḥ: by lakhs
• lakṣaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — (by lakhs)

• tṛtīyam: third
• tṛtīyam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tṛtīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — (as the third)

• parikīrtitam: is declared
• parikīrtitam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-√kīrt (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘परिकीर्तितम्’ (is declared/mentioned)

• catuḥṣaṣṭisahasraiḥ: by sixty-four thousands
• catuḥṣaṣṭisahasraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catuḥṣaṣṭi + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — ‘चतुःषष्टि-सहस्रैः’ (by sixty-four thousands)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Discourse (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विरोध/विशेषार्थक) — ‘but/indeed’

• yathāvat: properly
• yathāvat: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘properly/as it should be’

• parisaṃkhyayā: by exact count
• parisaṃkhyayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pari-saṃkhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — ‘परिसंख्यया’ (by exact enumeration)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from Purāṇic māhātmya narration style within Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A time-wheel segmented into yugas; the Dvāpara segment is highlighted, with eight-lakhs and additional measure indicated; sages verify the count with beads or tally marks.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames dharma within cosmic time—human conduct and pilgrimage merit are understood against the vast, ordered rhythm of yugas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse itself is a cosmological time-measure; the specific tīrtha praise lies in the surrounding Tīrthamāhātmya context of Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it gives a doctrinal enumeration of yuga duration.