Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

गणानां कोटिरेका तु तत्कुण्डं रक्षति प्रिये । कलौ युगे तु संप्राप्ते दुष्प्राप्यमकृतात्मभिः

Transliteration

gaṇānāṃ koṭirekā tu tatkuṇḍaṃ rakṣati priye | kalau yuge tu saṃprāpte duṣprāpyamakṛtātmabhiḥ

Translation

يا حبيبةُ، إنَّ كرورًا واحدًا من الغَنا (gaṇa) الخَدَم يحرس ذلك الحوض. فإذا أقبل عصرُ كالي غدا بلوغُه عسيرًا على من لا يتهذّب سلوكُه.

Word by Word

• गणानाम्: of the gaṇas (attendants)
• गणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कोटिः: a crore
• कोटिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• एका: one; single
• एका: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); कोटिः-विशेषण

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Connector/सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); कुण्डम्-विशेषण (demonstrative)

• कुण्डम्: pond; sacred pool
• कुण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• रक्षति: protects
• रक्षति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• प्रिये: O dear one
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कलौ: in Kali (age)
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• युगे: in the yuga; age
• युगे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: however
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Connector/सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• संप्राप्ते: when (it) has arrived; having come
• संप्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; ‘कलौ युगे’ इत्यस्य विशेषण (locative absolute sense: ‘when ... has come’)

• दुष्प्राप्यम्: hard to obtain/reach
• दुष्प्राप्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुस् + प्राप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; समास: दुष्टेन प्रकारेण प्राप्यम्/दुष्प्राप्यम् (उपपद-तत्पुरुष); कुण्डम्-विशेषण

• अकृतात्मभिः: by the undisciplined (people)
• अकृतात्मभिः: Kartr/Hetu (Agent/Means/कर्ता/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + कृत + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); बहुव्रीहि: अकृतः आत्मा येषाम् (those whose self is undisciplined)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kuṇḍa (guarded pond referenced in context)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī/Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A secluded sacred pond in Prabhāsa, ringed by a luminous host of gaṇas standing guard; the atmosphere suggests Kali-yuga obscuration—mist, thorny paths, and a lone disciplined pilgrim approaching with folded hands.

Characters & Entities

• gaṇas
• Kali Yuga
• Ratnakuṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Access to sacred merit is linked to inner discipline; Kali-yuga intensifies the need for self-restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ratnakuṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse emphasizes guardianship and the ethical qualification to reach the tīrtha.