Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 132

Devanagari script

इति महाकालप्रादुर्भावः । नारद उवाच । अथ केनापि कालेन पार्थ राजा करंधमः । विशेषमिच्छुर्धर्मेषु श्रुत्वा तीर्थमहागुणान्

Transliteration

iti mahākālaprādurbhāvaḥ | nārada uvāca | atha kenāpi kālena pārtha rājā karaṃdhamaḥ | viśeṣamicchurdharmeṣu śrutvā tīrthamahāguṇān

Translation

So ist die Erscheinung Mahākālas. Nārada sprach: Zu einer Zeit hörte der Pārtha-König Karaṁdhama, der nach Vollkommenheit im Dharma verlangte, von den großen Vorzügen der heiligen Tīrthas.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative/thus)

• mahākāla-prādurbhāvaḥ: the manifestation of Mahākāla
• mahākāla-prādurbhāvaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahākāla (प्रातिपदिक) + prādurbhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (mahākālasya prādurbhāvaḥ)

• nāradaḥ: Nārada
• nāradaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• kena: by which
• kena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुं/नपुं; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक (also/even)

• kālena: at a time
• kālena: Adhikarana (Time circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• pārtha: O Pārtha
• pārtha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative); एकवचन

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• karaṃdhamaḥ: Karaṃdhama
• karaṃdhamaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karaṃdhama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम (proper name)

• viśeṣam: a distinction/special excellence
• viśeṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• icchuḥ: desiring
• icchuḥ: Karta (Qualifier of subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: iṣ (धातु) + u (उणादि/कृदन्त-प्रत्यय) → icchu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (उणादि); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषण (desiderous)

• dharmeṣu: in matters of dharma
• dharmeṣu: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); बहुवचन

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive); अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• tīrtha-mahā-guṇān: the great qualities of the sacred ford(s)
• tīrtha-mahā-guṇān: Karma (Object of śrutvā/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + mahā (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत् विशेषण) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (tīrthasya mahā-guṇāḥ)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla-kṣetra (Mahākāleśvara)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada narrates; King Karaṁdhama, intent on dharma, listens to the famed virtues of tīrthas, resolving to set out toward Mahākāla-kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla
• Nārada
• King Karaṁdhama
• Tīrtha
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hearing the glory of tīrthas inspires dharma-seeking rulers to pursue higher righteousness through sacred travel and worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative transitions to Mahākāla’s sphere and the broader tīrtha-mahātmya context that draws the king.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is prescribed; the verse frames tīrtha-mahātmya as a means to deepen dharma.