Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अहं तत्र स्थितो यस्मात्कलिकाले पितामह

Transliteration

ahaṃ tatra sthito yasmātkalikāle pitāmaha

Translation

يا بيتامها (براهما)، فإني في عصر كالي أبقى مرابطًا هناك.

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• स्थितः: standing, present
• स्थितः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यस्मात्: since, because
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतु-अर्थे (because of which/since)

• कलिकाले: in the Kali age
• कलिकाले: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि-काल (प्रातिपदिक; कलि + काल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कलेः कालः)

• पितामह: O Grandfather (Brahmā)
• पितामह: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada (addressing Pitāmaha/Brahmā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā (Pitāmaha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous deity or guardian presence stands immovable at a sacred spot while dark Kali winds swirl around; Brahmā (pitāmaha) is addressed in reverence; the sacred locus glows like a fixed lamp amid storm.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in Kali-yuga, divine sages continue to guide and witness the world, sustaining the thread of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is elliptical; the specific place is clarified by the surrounding passage (moving toward Puṣkara).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this line; it functions as narrative linkage in the dialogue.