Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

यथर्तावृतुलिंगानि नामरूपाणि पर्यये । दृश्यन्ते तानि तान्येव तथा वत्स युगादिकम्

Transliteration

yathartāvṛtuliṃgāni nāmarūpāṇi paryaye | dṛśyante tāni tānyeva tathā vatsa yugādikam

Translation

ดุจเมื่อฤดูกาลผันเวียน เครื่องหมายประจำฤดู พร้อมนามและรูปเดิมๆ ปรากฏซ้ำแล้วซ้ำเล่า—ฉันนั้นแล โอ้ลูกน้อย ยุคและวัฏจักรทั้งหลายก็หวนกลับมาเป็นนิตย์

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारबोधक-अव्यय (indeclinable: as/just as)

• ऋतौ: in a season
• ऋतौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc loc sg)

• ऋतुलिङ्गानि: seasonal signs
• ऋतुलिङ्गानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋतु (प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neuter nom/acc pl); 'ऋतोः लिङ्गानि' (signs of the season)

• नामरूपाणि: names and forms
• नामरूपाणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (names and forms)

• पर्यये: in sequence/turn
• पर्यये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc loc sg: in succession/alternation)

• दृश्यन्ते: are seen
• दृश्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद/कर्मणि (present, 3rd pl; are seen/appear)

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neuter nom/acc pl)

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neuter nom/acc pl)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle: indeed/only)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Comparative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तुल्यताबोधक-अव्यय (indeclinable: likewise/so)

• वत्स: O child
• वत्स: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc voc sg)

• युगादिकम्: the yuga etc. (cycle)
• युगादिकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg); 'युगम् आदिः यस्य' / 'युगादि' = yuga etc.

Speaker

Śiva (contextual; confirmed explicitly at 8.39)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (‘vatsa’ address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split-panel cycle: the six seasons shown as repeating motifs (flowers, rains, harvest), mirrored by a larger wheel labeled with yugas returning in sequence.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛtu
• Nāmarūpa
• Yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recurring natural cycles illustrate recurring cosmic cycles; wisdom lies in aligning one’s dharma with the rhythm of time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this is a teaching by analogy rather than a tīrtha-māhātmya passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.