Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

तत्रैकपादयुक्तश्च धर्मः पापं त्रिभिः स्मृतम् । पूर्वार्धेभ्यः परं सर्वं संभविष्यति पात कम्

Transliteration

tatraikapādayuktaśca dharmaḥ pāpaṃ tribhiḥ smṛtam | pūrvārdhebhyaḥ paraṃ sarvaṃ saṃbhaviṣyati pāta kam

Translation

ในกาลนั้น ธรรมะตั้งอยู่เพียงด้วยเท้าเดียว ส่วนบาปกล่าวกันว่าครอบงำด้วยสามเท้า เมื่อเทียบกับยุคก่อน ๆ กาลต่อมาจะเอนเอียงไปสู่ความเสื่อมและอธรรมเป็นส่วนใหญ่

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• एकपादयुक्तः: endowed with one foot (one quarter)
• एकपादयुक्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त; √युज् (धातु) क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (एकपादेन युक्तः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

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

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• त्रिभिः: by three (parts)
• त्रिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण

• स्मृतम्: is declared/remembered
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्मृ (धातु) क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थक (passive sense: 'is said/remembered')

• पूर्वार्धेभ्यः: from the earlier halves
• पूर्वार्धेभ्यः: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (पूर्वस्य अर्धः)

• परम्: subsequent / beyond
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshya/Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• संभविष्यति: will arise/come to be
• संभविष्यति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु) + सम् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पातकम्: great sin / downfall
• पातकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Allegorical tableau: Dharma as a bull standing on one leg, shadowed by three looming forms of pāpa; the horizon darkens, suggesting the onset of Kali-yuga.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga righteousness diminishes and sin predominates, so one must consciously uphold dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is mentioned; the verse states a general yuga-dharma principle within a tīrtha-māhātmya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it describes the moral condition of the age rather than a specific rite.