ततः कालक्रमेणासौ व्यासरूपधरो हरिः । अष्टादशपुराणानि संक्षेप्स्यति युगेयुगे
tataḥ kālakrameṇāsau vyāsarūpadharo hariḥ | aṣṭādaśapurāṇāni saṃkṣepsyati yugeyuge
Puis, au fil du temps, Hari—revêtant la forme de Vyāsa—abrégera les dix-huit Purāṇa à chaque âge, à chaque yuga.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (contextual attribution)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Scene: Hari appears as sage Vyāsa—matted hair, manuscript in hand—condensing vast Purāṇic oceans into concise texts, with yuga-wheels turning behind him to show repetition across ages.
Divine compassion adapts teaching to time: scripture is organized and condensed so dharma remains accessible in each yuga.
The surrounding discourse belongs to Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya, though the verse itself highlights Vyāsa’s Purāṇic mission.
None; it is a statement about compilation and abridgment of Purāṇas.