Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

व्यास उवाच । अथ किंचिद्गते काले युगांतसमये सति । त्रेतादौ लोलजिह्वाक्ष अभवद्राक्षसेश्वरः

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | atha kiṃcidgate kāle yugāṃtasamaye sati | tretādau lolajihvākṣa abhavadrākṣaseśvaraḥ

Translation

ਵਿਆਸ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ: “ਫਿਰ ਕੁਝ ਸਮਾਂ ਬੀਤਣ ਤੇ, ਜਦ ਯੁਗ ਦੇ ਅੰਤ ਦਾ ਸਮਾਂ ਨੇੜੇ ਆਇਆ, ਤ੍ਰੇਤਾ-ਯੁਗ ਦੇ ਆਰੰਭ ਵਿੱਚ ਲੋਲਜਿਹਵਾਕ੍ਸ਼ ਨਾਮ ਦਾ ਰਾਖਸ਼ਾਂ ਦਾ ਅਧਿਪਤੀ ਉੱਠ ਖੜਾ ਹੋਇਆ।”

Word by Word

• व्यासः: Vyāsa
• व्यासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अथ: then
• अथ: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थ/प्रस्तावक (then/now)

• किञ्चित्: a little; somewhat
• किञ्चित्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किञ्चित् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाणार्थ (a little/somewhat)

• गते: having elapsed
• गते: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; 'gone/elapsed' (काले विशेषण)

• काले: in time; when time
• काले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• युगान्तसमये: at the time of the end of the yuga
• युगान्तसमये: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युगान्त + समय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (युगान्तस्य समयः)

• सति: when (it) was; being
• सति: Adhikarana (Absolute construction/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: सत्-प्रत्ययान्त (Present participle) सप्तमी-एकवचन नपुंसक; सप्तमी-absolute (locative absolute)

• त्रेतादौ: at the beginning of Tretā (yuga)
• त्रेतादौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रेता + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (त्रेतायाः आदिः)

• लोलजिह्वाक्ष: O one with wavering tongue and eyes (name/epithet)
• लोलजिह्वाक्ष: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोल + जिह्वा + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (लोलजिह्वा अक्षी यस्य)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• राक्षसेश्वरः: lord of the rākṣasas
• राक्षसेश्वरः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (राक्षसानाम् ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vyāsa narrates the ominous emergence of a rākṣasa-lord at the dawn of Tretā; visualized as a shadowy figure rising against a cosmic backdrop of turning ages.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Lolajihvākṣa
• Tretā-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas frame moral decline and renewal through yuga-cycles; adharma rises, and sacred spaces become arenas for dharma’s protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is the locus of the coming events; its sanctity is highlighted by the threat that approaches it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it sets historical-cosmic context for the narrative.