Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

कृते धर्मश्चतुष्पादो वेदादिफलमेव च । तीर्थं दानं तपो विद्या ध्यानमायुररोगता

Transliteration

kṛte dharmaścatuṣpādo vedādiphalameva ca | tīrthaṃ dānaṃ tapo vidyā dhyānamāyurarogatā

Translation

കൃതയുഗത്തിൽ ധർമ്മം നാലു പാദങ്ങളോടെ ദൃഢമായി നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു; വേദാദി সাধനകളുടെ ഫലവും പൂർണ്ണമായി ലഭിക്കുന്നു. തീർത്ഥം, ദാനം, തപസ്, വിദ്യ, ധ്യാനം, ദീർഘായുസ്സും നിരോഗതയും—ഇവ എല്ലാം ആ യുഗത്തിൽ സമൃദ്ധമാണ്।

Word by Word

• कृते: in the Kṛta (yuga)
• कृते: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• धर्मः: dharma
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• चतुष्पादः: four-footed (complete in four parts)
• चतुष्पादः: Visheshana (Qualifier of धर्मः/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—'यस्मिन् चत्वारः पादाः सः' (having four quarters/legs)

• वेदादिफलम्: the fruit of the Vedas etc.
• वेदादिफलम्: Karta (Item in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + आदि + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; 'वेदादीनां फलम्'

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

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

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage-place; pilgrimage
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Item in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• दानम्: gift, charity
• दानम्: Karta (Item in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Item in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• विद्या: knowledge, learning
• विद्या: Karta (Item in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ध्यानम्: meditation
• ध्यानम्: Karta (Item in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• आयुः: lifespan
• आयुः: Karta (Item in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अरोगता: freedom from disease, health
• अरोगता: Karta (Item in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + रोगता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati (implied, within Prahlāda’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tīrtha (generic, as category) within Kṛta-yuga description

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra/Vāsava

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau of Kṛta-yuga: dharma as a four-legged bull standing firm; sages performing study and meditation; people healthy and long-lived; tīrtha, dāna, tapas, vidyā, dhyāna depicted as personified virtues.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It teaches that in Kṛta Yuga dharma is complete and spiritual practices naturally yield their full results.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it broadly praises the flourishing of pilgrimage and sacred merit in Kṛta Yuga within the Dvārakā Māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It highlights core disciplines—tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage), dāna (charity), tapaḥ (austerity), vidyā (sacred study), and dhyāna (meditation)—as effective in that age.