Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

चतुर्युगैकसप्तत्या मन्वंतरमुदाहृतम् । ऐन्द्रमेतद्भवेदायुः समासात्तव कीर्तितम्

Transliteration

caturyugaikasaptatyā manvaṃtaramudāhṛtam | aindrametadbhavedāyuḥ samāsāttava kīrtitam

Translation

On déclare qu’un Manvantara se compose de soixante et onze ensembles des quatre Yuga. Ceci, en bref, est enseigné comme la durée de vie d’un Indra ; ainsi te l’ai-je expliqué avec concision.

Word by Word

• caturyuga-eka-saptatyā: by seventy-one caturyugas
• caturyuga-eka-saptatyā: Karaṇa (Instrument/Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caturyuga (प्रातिपदिक) + eka (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + saptati (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाससमूहः (निर्देशार्थक-तत्पुरुष; ‘चतुर्युगानाम् एकसप्ततिः’ = 71 caturyugas); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• manvantaram: a manvantara
• manvantaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manvantara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• udāhṛtam: is declared/has been stated
• udāhṛtam: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-ā-√hṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त/PPP), क्त-प्रत्यय; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• aindram: belonging to Indra; Indra’s
• aindram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aindra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• bhavet: would be/becomes
• bhavet: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• āyuḥ: lifespan
• āyuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• samāsāt: in brief; from summary
• samāsāt: Apādāna (Source/Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• tava: to you/your
• tava: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• kīrtitam: has been narrated/mentioned
• kīrtitam: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kīrt (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त/PPP), क्त-प्रत्यय; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya narrative context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Interlocutor seeking Prabhāsa’s greatness (sage/audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A time-wheel with 71 spokes labeled ‘caturyuga’, above it a throne of Indra that fades into mist, while a steady Śiva-liṅga/temple at Prabhāsa remains unmoved by the cycles.

Characters & Entities

• Manvantara
• Indra
• Caturyuga (four Yugas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames cosmic time as ordered and dharma-governed, encouraging humility: even Indra’s authority is time-bound within Brahmā’s creation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader discourse belongs to Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya (the glory of Prabhāsa), though this verse specifically explains cosmological time measures.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a doctrinal definition of Manvantara and Indra’s tenure.