Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

पादेनैकेन तत्सर्वं विभागे प्रथमे कलौ । ऊर्ध्वं विनाशः सर्वस्य भविष्यति न संशयः

Transliteration

pādenaikena tatsarvaṃ vibhāge prathame kalau | ūrdhvaṃ vināśaḥ sarvasya bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

في القسم الأوّل من كَلي لا يبقى من ذلك كلّه إلا قَدَمٌ واحدة. ثم بعد ذلك يأتي فناءُ كلّ شيء—ولا ريب في ذلك.

Word by Word

• पादेन: by a quarter/with one part (lit. by a foot/quarter)
• पादेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन

• एकेन: by one
• एकेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (पादेन)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (सर्वम्)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विभागे: in the division/portion
• विभागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन

• प्रथमे: in the first
• प्रथमे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (विभागे)

• कलौ: in the Kali (age)
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• ऊर्ध्वम्: thereafter/above; henceforth
• ऊर्ध्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• विनाशः: destruction
• विनाशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सर्वस्य: of all/of everything
• सर्वस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), एकवचन

• भविष्यति: will occur/will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• न: not/no
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (particle of negation)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Bṛhaspati (implied, within Prahlāda’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (implied) / Prabhāsa-kṣetra (broader khanda frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra/Vāsava

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark image of Kali’s first phase: a dharma bull on one leg; behind it, fading manuscripts and dimming sacrificial fires; Bṛhaspati’s warning gesture; Indra troubled yet attentive.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It warns that in Kali Yuga only a fraction of dharma remains, urging seekers toward protective spiritual refuges and disciplined practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it functions as a lead-in to identifying a Kali-avoided sacred place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it presents a yuga-based prognosis that motivates reliance on tīrtha and dharma.