Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

वैवस्वतेंऽतरे प्राप्ते यश्चायं वर्ततेऽधुना । त्रेतायुगे तु दशमे दत्तात्रेयपुरःसरः

Transliteration

vaivasvateṃ'tare prāpte yaścāyaṃ vartate'dhunā | tretāyuge tu daśame dattātreyapuraḥsaraḥ

Translation

ವೈವಸ್ವತ ಮನ್ವಂತರವು ಬಂದಾಗ—ಇದೀಗ ನಡೆಯುತ್ತಿರುವದೇ ಅದು—ತ್ರೇತಾಯುಗದ ಹತ್ತನೇ ಹಂತದಲ್ಲಿ ದತ್ತಾತ್ರೇಯನು ಮುಂಚೂಣಿಯಾಗಿ (ಪುರಃಸರನಾಗಿ) ಇದ್ದನು.

Word by Word

• वैवस्वते: in the Vaivasvata (Manvantara)
• वैवस्वते: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैवस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); ‘अन्तरे’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (Vaivasvata [Manu] period)

• अन्तरे: in the interval / manvantara
• अन्तरे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्राप्ते: when (it) has come/arrived
• प्राप्ते: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); ‘अन्तरे’ इत्यन्वयः—‘when it has arrived’

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• वर्तते: exists / is occurring
• वर्तते: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक/adverb)

• त्रेतायुगे: in the Tretā Yuga
• त्रेतायुगे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रेता (प्रातिपदिक) + युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—त्रेतायाः युगम्

• तु: indeed
• तु: Discourse marker (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/indeed)

• दशमे: in the tenth
• दशमे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Ordinal-time)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); ‘(मन्वन्तर/युग-गणनायाम्) दशमे’

• दत्तात्रेयपुरःसरः: having Dattātreya as the leader/forerunner
• दत्तात्रेयपुरःसरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दत्तात्रेय (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरःसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—दत्तात्रेयः पुरःसरः यस्य (with Dattātreya as leader/forerunner)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrator continuing chronological account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic calendar unfurls: ‘Vaivasvata Manvantara’ inscribed on a scroll; in the foreground, Dattātreya (with matted locks, serene face) steps forward as a guide, while the divine couple narrates/listens.

Characters & Entities

• Vaivasvata Manu
• Vaivasvata Manvantara
• Tretā-yuga
• Dattātreya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great teachers like Dattātreya are placed within yuga-cycles, showing dharma’s continuity across ages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya; this verse is chronological rather than a direct tīrtha-glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.