Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

चतुष्पदानामन्येषां विंशतिः पंचभिर्युता । यत्र काकाश्च गृध्राश्च कौशिकाश्चिरजीविनः

Transliteration

catuṣpadānāmanyeṣāṃ viṃśatiḥ paṃcabhiryutā | yatra kākāśca gṛdhrāśca kauśikāścirajīvinaḥ

Translation

У прочих четвероногих срок жизни — двадцать пять лет. Но в тот век вороны, стервятники и совы будут долгожителями.

Word by Word

• catuṣpadānām: of quadrupeds
• catuṣpadānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catuṣpada (प्रातिपदिक; catuḥ+padá)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• anyeṣām: of others
• anyeṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• viṃśatiḥ: twenty
• viṃśatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṃśati (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• paṃcabhiḥ: with five (by five)
• paṃcabhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañcan (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• yutā: joined/added
• yutā: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √yuj (युज्) + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine); विशेषण (adjective) viṃśatiḥ

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb: 'where')

• kākāḥ: crows
• kākāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• gṛdhrāḥ: vultures
• gṛdhrāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛdhra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• kauśikāḥ: owls (kauśika-birds)
• kauśikāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kauśika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• cirajīvinaḥ: long-lived
• cirajīvinaḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cirajīvin (प्रातिपदिक; cira+jīvin)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); विशेषण (adjective) kākāḥ/gṛdhrāḥ/kauśikāḥ

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya dialogue context)

Visual Art Cues

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.

Characters & Entities

• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The age’s imbalance is shown through altered lifespans—ordinary beings decline while inauspicious scavengers become long-lived.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse continues the general Kali-yuga profile within the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it is descriptive of yuga conditions.