Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

त्रुटिर्लवो निमेषश्च कला काष्ठा मुहूर्तकम् । रात्र्यहःपक्षमासाश्च अयनं वत्सरं युगम्

Transliteration

truṭirlavo nimeṣaśca kalā kāṣṭhā muhūrtakam | rātryahaḥpakṣamāsāśca ayanaṃ vatsaraṃ yugam

Translation

ത്രുടി, ലവ, നിമേഷം, കല, കാഷ്ഠാ, മുഹൂർത്തം; പിന്നെ രാത്രി‑പകൽ, പക്ഷം, മാസം; തുടർന്ന് അയനം, വത്സരം, യുഗം—ഇവയാണ് കാലത്തിന്റെ ക്രമവിഭാഗങ്ങൾ.

Word by Word

• त्रुटिः: truṭi (a minute unit of time)
• त्रुटिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रुटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (fem. nom. sg.)

• लवः: lava (a small unit of time)
• लवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• निमेषः: nimeṣa (blink; time unit)
• निमेषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• कला: kalā (time unit)
• कला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (fem. nom. sg.)

• काष्ठा: kāṣṭhā (time unit)
• काष्ठा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (fem. nom. sg.)

• मुहूर्तकम्: muhūrtaka (a muhūrta)
• मुहूर्तकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुहूर्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (neut. nom. sg.)

• रात्रि-अहः-पक्ष-मासाः: night, day, fortnight, and months
• रात्रि-अहः-पक्ष-मासाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + अहः (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (masc. nom. pl.; night, day, fortnight, months)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अयनम्: ayana (half-year course)
• अयनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (neut. nom. sg.)

• वत्सरम्: year
• वत्सरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (neut. nom. sg.)

• युगम्: yuga (age)
• युगम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (neut. nom. sg.)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene teaching scene at Prabhāsa: a sage enumerates time-units while the sea and a temple silhouette suggest Somnātha; above, a cosmic wheel of time shows gradations from tiny sparks (truṭi) to vast rings (yuga).

Characters & Entities

• Truṭi
• Lava
• Nimeṣa
• Kalā
• Kāṣṭhā
• Muhūrta
• Pakṣa
• Māsa
• Ayana
• Vatsara
• Yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is practiced in measured time; understanding kāla-vibhāga sanctifies daily life and ritual timing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, as the Māhātmya’s setting, is linked with the revelation of sacred time-order.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a specific rite, but the framework supports muhūrta-based worship and tithi/pakṣa observances.