Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

महत्कथेयं वैशिष्टी कल्पादस्मात्परं तु या । लोकक्षयकरो घोर आसीत्कालः सुदारुणः

Transliteration

mahatkatheyaṃ vaiśiṣṭī kalpādasmātparaṃ tu yā | lokakṣayakaro ghora āsītkālaḥ sudāruṇaḥ

Translation

Dies ist eine große und außergewöhnliche Erzählung, die zu einem Kalpa jenseits dieses gehört. Damals gab es eine Zeit, schrecklich und überaus furchtbar, die die Vernichtung der Welten bewirkte.

Word by Word

• महत्: great
• महत्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (of ‘kathā’)

• कथा: story
• कथा: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: कर्ता (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (apposition)

• वैशिष्टी: (is) exceptional, distinguished
• वैशिष्टी: विशेषणार्थ-नाम (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशिष्ट्य (प्रातिपदिक; भाववाचक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘विशेषता/उत्कर्ष’

• कल्पात्: from the kalpa
• कल्पात्: अपादान (Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• अस्मात्: from this
• अस्मात्: अपादान (Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• परम्: after, beyond
• परम्: काल/सम्बन्ध (Adverbial complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् ‘beyond/after’

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: निपात
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• या: which
• या: कर्ता (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun) referring to ‘kathā’

• लोकक्षयकरः: causing destruction of the worlds
• लोकक्षयकरः: विशेषण (Qualifier of ‘kālaḥ’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक + क्षय + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘लोकस्य क्षयः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष + ‘कर’ (maker)

• घोरः: terrible
• घोरः: विशेषण (Qualifier of ‘kālaḥ’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कालः: time
• कालः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सुदारुणः: very dreadful
• सुदारुणः: विशेषण (Qualifier of ‘kālaḥ’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु- (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-समासवत् ‘अत्यन्तं दारुणः’

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sabhā audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary tableau of pralaya: darkened skies, turbulent waters or fiery winds, collapsing worlds; in contrast, the narrator-sage remains steady, holding the thread of tradition.

Characters & Entities

• Kalpa
• Lokakṣaya (world-destruction)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly existence is subject to cyclical dissolution; recognizing pralaya fosters vairāgya (dispassion) and commitment to lasting dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it introduces a cosmic backdrop that will contextualize the Narmadā-region’s sacred significance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it signals the gravity of the forthcoming account.