Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

एवं चतुर्युगे प्राप्ते पुनःपुनररिन्दम । कृत्वा धर्मव्यवस्थानं तत्स्थानं प्रतिपद्यते

Transliteration

evaṃ caturyuge prāpte punaḥpunararindama | kṛtvā dharmavyavasthānaṃ tatsthānaṃ pratipadyate

Translation

Ainsi, chaque fois que le cycle des quatre yuga revient encore et encore, ô dompteur d’ennemis, Il rétablit l’ordre du dharma, puis retourne à Sa propre demeure.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (manner adverb)

• चतुर्युगे: in the cycle of four yugas
• चतुर्युगे: Adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् + युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—चत्वारि युगानि यस्मिन् (चतुर्युगम्) तस्मिन्

• प्राप्ते: when (it) has come/been completed
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Time qualifier/कालविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘चतुर्युगे’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्—‘when it has arrived/when completed’

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (repetition adverb)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक; यमकप्रयोगे ‘again and again’

• अरिन्दम: O subduer of enemies
• अरिन्दम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरिन्दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; संबोधनम्

• कृत्वा: having established/done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) ‘having done’; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• धर्मव्यवस्थानम्: the establishment/arrangement of dharma
• धर्मव्यवस्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + व्यवस्था + अन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; ‘कृत्वा’ इत्यस्य कर्म

• तत्स्थानम्: that place
• तत्स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; ‘प्रतिपद्यते’ इत्यस्य कर्म; तद्-शब्दस्य संधिः

• प्रतिपद्यते: returns to/attains
• प्रतिपद्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (contextual attribution within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (abode-return motif)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic wheel of four yugas turning; Viṣṇu steps forth to set dharma in order, then turns back toward a radiant abode identified with Prabhāsa’s sacred horizon; a heroic yet serene composition.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Caturyuga (four-yuga cycle)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine governance is cyclical: whenever dharma declines across ages, the Lord restores it and remains the ultimate refuge beyond time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement appears within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya narrative frame, supporting the sanctity of Nārāyaṇa’s presence there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse explains the Lord’s role in establishing dharma across yuga cycles.