Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

यथा कृतयुगे विप्रास्त्रेतायां च यथा पुरा । तथा चाद्यैव वर्त्तव्यं मम राज्ये न संशयः

Transliteration

yathā kṛtayuge viprāstretāyāṃ ca yathā purā | tathā cādyaiva varttavyaṃ mama rājye na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

രാമൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—കൃതയുഗത്തിൽ വിപ്രന്മാർ എങ്ങനെ ജീവിച്ചുവോ, പൂർവ്വം ത്രേതായുഗത്തിൽ എങ്ങനെ ആയിരുന്നുവോ, അതുപോലെ ഇന്നും എന്റെ രാജ്യത്തിൽ ജീവിക്കണം—സംശയമില്ല.

Word by Word

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमान (as/just as)

• कृत-युगे: in the Kṛta age
• कृत-युगे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक) + युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• विप्राः: Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• त्रेतायाम्: in the Tretā age
• त्रेतायाम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रेता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमान (as)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly/of old)

• तथा: so
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनुरूप (so/in that manner)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• अद्य: today; now
• अद्य: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (today/now)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (indeed)

• वर्त्तव्यम्: must be conducted/behaved
• वर्त्तव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; तव्यत् (Gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possession/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• राज्ये: in (my) kingdom
• राज्ये: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: no/not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Predicate-noun/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Rāma

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: suta (son)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma addressing brāhmaṇas with firm compassion: he gestures toward the realm as if promising a return of Kṛta/Tretā standards; brāhmaṇas listen, some blessing, some holding Vedic texts.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Brāhmaṇas
• Kṛta Yuga
• Tretā Yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dharmic ruler strives to restore the highest standards of conduct—making society mirror the purity of the best yugas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is indirectly glorified as the setting where yuga-like righteousness is established through Rāma’s governance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed; it is an ethical injunction to uphold elevated dharma in the kingdom.