Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 71
चतुष्पदानामन्येषां विंशतिः पंचभिर्युता । यत्र काकाश्च गृध्राश्च कौशिकाश्चिरजीविनः
catuṣpadānāmanyeṣāṃ viṃśatiḥ paṃcabhiryutā | yatra kākāśca gṛdhrāśca kauśikāścirajīvinaḥ
മറ്റു ചതുഷ്പദ ജീവികളുടെ ആയുസ്സ് ഇരുപത്തിയഞ്ച് വർഷം; എന്നാൽ ആ കാലത്ത് അവിടെ കാക്കകളും കഴുകുകളും മൂങ്ങകളും ദീർഘായുസ്സുള്ളവരാകും।
Unspecified narrator (within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya dialogue context)
Scene: A bleak landscape where ordinary animals have short lifespans, yet crows, vultures, and owls linger unnaturally—perched on dead branches under a dim sky, suggesting an age of decay.
FAQs
The age’s imbalance is shown through altered lifespans—ordinary beings decline while inauspicious scavengers become long-lived.
None; the verse continues the general Kali-yuga profile within the chapter.
No ritual is prescribed; it is descriptive of yuga conditions.