Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

स्पर्शदोषभयं नैव भविष्यति कलौ युगे । क्षत्रिया राज्यहीनाश्च म्लेच्छो राजा भविष्यति

Transliteration

sparśadoṣabhayaṃ naiva bhaviṣyati kalau yuge | kṣatriyā rājyahīnāśca mleccho rājā bhaviṣyati

Translation

Im Kali-Zeitalter wird es keine Furcht mehr vor Unreinheit durch ungebührliche Berührung geben; die Kṣatriyas werden ihrer Herrschaft beraubt, und ein Mleccha wird König werden.

Word by Word

• स्पर्श-दोष-भयम्: fear of the fault of touch (pollution)
• स्पर्श-दोष-भयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक) + दोष (प्रातिपदिक) + भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: स्पर्शदोषस्य भयम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• एव: at all; indeed
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

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

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

• क्षत्रियाः: kṣatriyas
• क्षत्रियाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• राज्य-हीनाः: deprived of kingdom
• राज्य-हीनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: राज्येन हीनाः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• म्लेच्छः: a barbarian/foreigner
• म्लेच्छः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: म्लेच्छ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator within Dharmāraṇya-khaṇḍa describing Kali-yuga traits)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic city where purity boundaries blur: mixed crowds in marketplaces and courts; a foreign-looking ruler enthroned; traditional kṣatriya insignia set aside; a small temple remains a refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Kali-yuga
• Kṣatriya
• Mleccha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharmic restraint and social responsibility fade, governance also declines, leading to rulers disconnected from dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified; the verse focuses on social and political degeneration in Kali-yuga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive, highlighting the loss of purity codes and the destabilization of rāja-dharma.