Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

अस्मिन्युगे ह्यधर्मेण जितो धर्मः सनातनः । अनृतेन जितं सत्यं विप्राश्च वृषलैर्जिताः

Transliteration

asminyuge hyadharmeṇa jito dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ | anṛtena jitaṃ satyaṃ viprāśca vṛṣalairjitāḥ

Translation

Dalam zaman ini, Dharma yang kekal ditundukkan oleh adharma; kebenaran ditewaskan oleh kepalsuan; dan para Brahmana dikuasai oleh golongan hina.

Word by Word

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• युगे: in the age
• युगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; indeed)

• अधर्मेण: by unrighteousness
• अधर्मेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• जितः: conquered
• जितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √जि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि-कृदन्त (past passive participle)

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

• सनातनः: eternal
• सनातनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying धर्मः)

• अनृतेन: by falsehood
• अनृतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• जितम्: conquered
• जितम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √जि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि-कृदन्त (PPP)

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वृषलैः: by low-born men
• वृषलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• जिताः: conquered
• जिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √जि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; भूतकर्मणि-कृदन्त (PPP)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: frame-sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Allegorical depiction of Kali: dark figure overshadowing Dharma and Satya; sages lamenting; in the background a radiant temple/kṣetra stands as a beacon of stability.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Satya
• Vipra
• Vṛṣala
• Kali Yuga (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse diagnoses Kali’s inversion—adharma eclipsing dharma—urging seekers to find steadiness in divine shelter and right conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it functions as Kali-yuga context within Dvārakā Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a moral and social lament describing the age’s decline.