Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

महाश्चर्यकरं तच्च ह्यनेकयुगसंस्थितम् । सर्वो धातुः क्षयं याति सुवर्णं क्षयमेति च

Transliteration

mahāścaryakaraṃ tacca hyanekayugasaṃsthitam | sarvo dhātuḥ kṣayaṃ yāti suvarṇaṃ kṣayameti ca

Translation

และสิ่งนั้นน่าอัศจรรย์ยิ่งนัก ดำรงอยู่ข้ามกาลหลายยุค; โลหะทั้งปวงย่อมเสื่อมสลาย แม้ทองคำก็ยังร่อยหรอ

Word by Word

• महाश्चर्यकरम्: causing great wonder
• महाश्चर्यकरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + आश्चर्य + कर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (महद् आश्चर्यम् करोति)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta/Karma (Contextual/प्रसङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipata (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/indeed)

• अनेकयुगसंस्थितम्: enduring for many ages
• अनेकयुगसंस्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक + युग + संस्थित (कृदन्त; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त ‘संस्थित’; तत्पुरुषः (अनेकानि युगानि यस्मिन्/यावत् संस्थितम्)

• सर्वः: every
• सर्वः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (धातुः)

• धातुः: metal/mineral
• धातुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• क्षयम्: decay/destruction
• क्षयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• याति: goes/comes to
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सुवर्णम्: gold
• सुवर्णम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• क्षयम्: decay
• क्षयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• एति: goes/attains
• एति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• च: also
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

Speaker

Vyāsa (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya (tāmra-śāsana āścarya)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprendra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A time-worn world is contrasted with a still-bright copper inscription; imagery of corroded metals and fading gold ornaments underscores impermanence, while the charter remains legible—an object of wonder.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma-śāsana (implied)
• Dharmāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time erodes material things; yet dharmic testimony associated with a tīrtha is portrayed as astonishingly enduring.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, as the setting where the long-enduring edict is remembered.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse focuses on the marvel of long preservation across ages.