Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

तपः कृते प्रशंसंति त्रेतायां ज्ञानमेव च । द्वापरे तीर्थयात्रां च दानमेव कलौ युगे

Transliteration

tapaḥ kṛte praśaṃsaṃti tretāyāṃ jñānameva ca | dvāpare tīrthayātrāṃ ca dānameva kalau yuge

Translation

Dans l’âge Kṛta, on loue l’austérité; dans Tretā, la connaissance seule; dans Dvāpara, le pèlerinage aux tīrtha; mais dans l’âge Kali, la charité seule est tenue pour suprême.

Word by Word

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृते: in the Kṛta (age)
• कृते: Adhikaraṇa (Time/Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; युग-नाम

• प्रशंसन्ति: praise
• प्रशंसन्ति: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• त्रेतायाम्: in Tretā (age)
• त्रेतायाम्: Adhikaraṇa (Time/Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रेता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; युग-नाम

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: only/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• द्वापरे: in Dvāpara (age)
• द्वापरे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; युग-नाम

• तीर्थयात्राम्: pilgrimage to sacred places
• तीर्थयात्राम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थस्य यात्रा)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• दानम्: charity/giving
• दानम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: only/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय

• कलौ: in Kali (age)
• कलौ: Adhikaraṇa (Time/Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; युग-नाम

• युगे: in the age
• युगे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Durvāsā (continuing instruction)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau of the four yugas: ascetics in deep tapas (Kṛta), sages teaching jñāna (Tretā), pilgrims traveling to rivers/temples (Dvāpara), and householders giving charity (Kali) as the central accessible dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛta Yuga
• Tretā Yuga
• Dvāpara Yuga
• Kali Yuga
• Tīrthayātrā
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma adapts by age: in Kali-yuga, dāna is presented as the most accessible and effective path for merit and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the verse broadly praises tīrthayātrā in Dvāpara and elevates dāna in Kali.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes dāna (charitable giving) as the principal Kali-yuga practice.