Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

युगत्रये व्यतिक्रान्ते धर्माचारपरे सदा । प्राप्ते कलियुगे घोरे क्व विष्णुर्भगवानिति

Transliteration

yugatraye vyatikrānte dharmācārapare sadā | prāpte kaliyuge ghore kva viṣṇurbhagavāniti

Translation

Quand les trois âges se sont écoulés et que le redoutable Kali-yuga est advenu, où donc, en vérité, peut-on trouver et approcher le Seigneur Viṣṇu ?

Word by Word

• युगत्रये: in the three yugas
• युगत्रये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; द्विगु-समासः (त्रीणि युगानि)

• व्यतिक्रान्ते: when (it) has passed
• व्यतिक्रान्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-अति-क्रम् (धातु) → व्यतिक्रान्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; भूतकृदन्तः—क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्गे (युगत्रये इति)

• धर्माचारपरे: devoted to dharma and proper conduct
• धर्माचारपरे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + आचार (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (धर्माचारयोः परम्/धर्माचारपरम्)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• प्राप्ते: when (it) has arrived
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; भूतकृदन्तः—क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्गे (कलियुगे इति)

• कलियुगे: in the Kali age
• कलियुगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक) + युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (कलेः युगम्)

• घोरे: terrible
• घोरे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (कलियुगस्य)

• क्व: where
• क्व: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative ‘where?’)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• भगवान्: the Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक-निपात (quotative)

Speaker

Śaunaka

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages contemplating the passage of three yugas; a symbolic backdrop showing fading golden light into darker hues, with a distant Viṣṇu emblem (śaṅkha-cakra) as the ‘where’ of presence.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It voices the Kali-yuga anxiety and sets up the Purāṇic answer: God remains accessible through revealed means and sanctified places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dvārakā Māhātmya context points toward Dvārakā, though this verse itself asks the foundational question.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an inquiry that invites instruction on practice and sacred approach.