Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

कल्पादौ द्वापरांते तु क्षत्रियाणां निवेशने । अवतारं महाबाहुवासुदेवः करिष्यति

Transliteration

kalpādau dvāparāṃte tu kṣatriyāṇāṃ niveśane | avatāraṃ mahābāhuvāsudevaḥ kariṣyati

Translation

Vào buổi đầu của kalpa, và lại vào lúc kết thúc thời Dvāpara, Vāsudeva, bậc đại hùng có cánh tay uy mãnh, sẽ giáng thế làm avatāra giữa chốn cư ngụ của hàng kṣatriya.

Word by Word

• कल्पादौ: at the beginning of the kalpa
• कल्पादौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे लोके (locative of time: "at the beginning of the kalpa")

• द्वापरान्ते: at the end of the Dvāpara (age)
• द्वापरान्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्वापरस्य अन्तः)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थे (but/indeed)

• क्षत्रियाणाम्: of the Kṣatriyas
• क्षत्रियाणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• निवेशने: in the settlement/abode
• निवेशने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवेशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• अवतारम्: an incarnation
• अवतारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• महाबाहुवासुदेवः: Vāsudeva, the mighty-armed
• महाबाहुवासुदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु (प्रातिपदिक) + वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महाबाहुः वासुदेवः)

• करिष्यति: will make/undertake
• करिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Future/लृट्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (narrating)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (implicit frame) connected to Kṛṣṇa’s end-of-Dvāpara events; prophecy concerns Vāsudeva

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A prophetic recitation describes Vāsudeva’s descent at yuga’s end; cosmic imagery of kalpa cycles overlays a scene of kṣatriya dwellings, suggesting the divine entering human history.

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva
• Dvāpara-yuga
• Kṣatriyas
• Kalpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine descent is framed within cosmic time; avatāra doctrine teaches that dharma is restored according to yuga and need.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it sets narrative context about Vāsudeva and time-cycles.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal/narrative statement about avatāra and yuga.